Return
by Anonymous-Writing
Summary: What happened after The Wizard's Promise?
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

After everything, Serpantha had decided to go to Ool alone to talk to Calen. Although his brother hated the idea, Serpantha was very insistent, and like almost always – got his way…

'Was it worth it?' Serpantha asked.

Calen looked confused, 'Was what worth it?'

'The fighting. The killing. Everything you've ever 'accomplished' in your life. Was being some powerful mass-murderer worth all this?'

Calen looked half confused, half agreeing, 'I… You don't understand. Why would I expect you to? Our species are so different, we share ancestry, nothing more. How could you possibly understand?'

'I do understand, Calen, I more than understand, and I think deep down you know that. I was raised to fight that's all I was ever told. Kill. Defend your species. As if killing in battles ever solved anything, and we, unlike you, would never go as far as to attempt genocide.'

'You were trained to fight a war. How is that the same?' Calen said, almost disgusted.

'If you would listen I would tell you,' Serpantha said annoyed. 'Anyway, I was raised to hate. You actually under estimate how old I am. In the time I was a child, I was raised to hate – it's all there was. But when my father walked out and my mother died I was left to raise my family, including my very young brother. It changes a person. If that didn't change me enough, I've lost my family, all are gone but my brother and I.'

'That's still not the same!' Calen said, anger increasing, 'It doesn't matter if people die it's the greater good.'

'Greater good?' Serpantha half-laughed, 'you call this the greater good? Really? You chose to delude yourself even more. Let's stop playing games. We all know how your mother dying affected you.'

Calen's defences rose, and Serpantha just said, 'See. I was raised pretty much the same way as you. Right now, you are feeling a very similar way to how I did. What happens now is up to you; I will not force you into anything and I will not set you up to be killed. However, if you don't change at all and you really want to continue with this pointless war don't expect me to be compassionate ever again – if it weren't for my brother's own wishes, I wouldn't be showing you compassion right now.'

'I understand,' Calen said. It's all she could say.

After a long pause, which, despite how it would seem, wasn't uncomfortable, she added, 'Don't expect me to change though.'

Serpantha smiled amusedly.

'What's so funny?' Calen drew back, offended.

'That even after all this time you doubt yourself. Everything depends on you Calen I won't force you either way. You decide the future of this war, your species and even mine. Perhaps it is a decision you are unwilling to make, or are not ready to make – either way, you will have to, but I do have honest hope. If Griddas can be convinced and change I can't imagine it being hard with you.' He paused, looking thoughtful, 'That is if you're willing to face the fear of change.'

Calen was more confused than anything else. She was overwhelmed. She wanted things to go back before her and Heebra went to Earth, and things to go back to the way they were – Serpantha knew this, and knew what it meant. Calen may go back to her old ways just to try to regain the past. He knew he had to let her chose though, as bringing a resentful High Witch back to Orin Fen was not a good idea by anyone's standards.

Then Calen surprised him, 'What of Earth?'

'It is to be left alone. Shielded, and untouched by magic,' Serpantha almost struggled to say it, 'we've done enough damage. People died, Calen, and I know that means nothing to you but that will not happen again. Trust me, if you ever go near Earth, or go looking for it, you will not get another chance.'

Calen just nodded. 'You best leave.'

Serpantha feared Calen would resort to her old ways, but new he could do nothing, so just nodded and left.


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival

Due to the fact there had been deaths on Earth, and too much damage to the planet and its people – it had to be decided that it needed to be left alone.

Neither Serpantha nor Larpskendya were happy about it, but it came with the job. It took a lot of work from a lot of people – Earth had to be stripped of it's magic, even Yemi was left to grow up a normal child. Heiki and Rachel were the only ones with magic left. Not that anyone knew, because everyone's memories had been cleared, false ones put in to substitute the last few years. Eric was able to keep his memory, which saved Rachel and Heiki some awkward explanations. Although it was somewhat comforting to the Wizards they kept their magic, it didn't stop how much it hurt that they were forced to abandon two people who meant so much to them. It was for the best.

With every year past, Rachel and Heiki lost more hope. They were both 18/19, ye the whole experience had stopped their worlds. They still felt like young teens in ways. The worst part was they couldn't even talk to someone about it – especially Heiki, who needed someone to talk to anyway, but now she had abandonment issues she couldn't talk to about to anyone else. Not even Rachel knew how or when Heiki was abandoned as a child; she refused to speak about many bad things in her life. Nothing changed when the Wizards left. She wouldn't talk about how she felt, she would just get upset or angry, be withdrawn, and lose trust in all people.

Rachel felt selfish, but it did hurt her when she felt Heiki didn't trust her, as Rachel trusted Heiki with her life. She was closer to Heiki than anyone, and would trust her with her life in a heartbeat. However, because Heiki refused to talk about her feelings, Rachel couldn't really talk to Heiki either. She wished she could talk to Morpeth, but he chose to stay on Ithrea. Rachel took it more personally than she should. It felt like it happened a million years ago, yet yesterday at the same time. There were times she almost wished she could go back and relive it – the best and worst times of her life both happened due to the war between Witches and Wizards, after all…

Sometimes they both doubted if it was real. Heiki, in particular, got angry with the Wizards for, well, abandoning them. It was heartbreaking for Rachel to see Heiki feeling like that, with nothing she could do.

Some things did not change, which allowed them to partly relive things. Eric still had the Prapsies, and as a 15-year-old boy, he found it irritating to have them around him all the time, but they never quite learnt their lesson. Unlike Rachel and Heiki, he still had to go to school, although he had no plans to do anything after it, the same as his sister and Heiki. All of them just lost all drive or will. None of them were really living.

They still lived in fear of High Witches; they weren't fully aware what they were capable of as a race, and who was to say the Wizards were not dead? Who was to say Orin Fen was still there?

One morning Eric came downstairs for breakfast, which was probably more of a lunch given it was 1pm when he awoke. Heiki and Rachel were drinking tea and watching daytime TV. He stood in the doorway eating a piece of toast, and between bites he said, 'Guessing this is all you have planned for today?'

'Yup,' the girls said blankly in unison.

'Well,' Eric began delicately, 'I don't want to raise hopes, or anything, but last night I detected faint traces of magic outside Earth. Don't know what species, don't know who's, so this could be good or bad news – most likely nothing, though. You might want to go for a bit of scout.'

Rachel stood up, and immediately put her shoes on.

Heiki said, 'Wait, wait, think this through, Rach. We're just going to go up into the atmosphere and have a look?'

Rachel just said, 'Are you coming?'

Sighing, Heiki put her shoes on.

Heiki just planned on flying, not seeing the rush, as she knew it would be nothing – it had happened before – but Rachel shifted, so Heiki kept up with her. If trail by any kind of being, it was at least a link to the people outside Earth. At least she had a chance of finding out what happened. Eric was not interested in going in the least – not anymore. He just lost interest in everything expect sitting in his room all day.

Rachel went much further than they needed too, with still no sign of anything. Heiki stayed silent, she figured it was best.

Heiki lost count of how much time had past when Rachel exclaimed, 'I've got something!'

'What?!'

'It's…' Rachel looked confused, 'It's weird. It's not a scent. It's more a presence. I can't explain it…'

'Rachel,' replied Heiki softly, 'I hate to sound so patronising, but maybe this is just wishful thinking?'

'Please trust me…'

Heiki just nodded sadly, and they kept going.

It seemed and absolute age they were travelling. When they were not back by 7pm Eric began to worry, but it was more than likely they'd gone out drinking to ease the disappointment. Not healthy, but why did it matter? They were not really living anyway.

Eventually Heiki and Rachel long exited their solar system. Heiki felt way out of her comfort zone here, so did Rachel, but neither of them particularly cared due to the hope of what they could find. Childish hope was all they really had left, even though they were fully aware they could both be heading straight to their deaths.

After hours upon hours of travelling in silence, they did find what they were looking for.

Orin Fen.

They both just froze, not believing it to be true. They didn't know what to do, nor did they know what they would find.

'OK, Rach, this could easily be some form of trap or not even real. I mean we found it this easily? And it's perfectly visible. Something is amiss. This can't be right, it's not right.'

'Of course,' Rachel replied bluntly, 'but we'll regret it forever if we didn't go down now. Stay hidden and you know where to head.'

Heiki nodded, and they flew down to the planet below.

A little girl who looked about six, with shoulder length blonde hair, blue eyes and cheeky smile, and tattooed eyes looked mesmerised at the two girls who just appeared in front of her in the living room of her house.

Heiki bent down to her height, and said in the language of Orin Fen, which Serpantha had taught her, 'Where's your daddy? Can you fetch him for me?'

The little girl seemed pleased the strange women spoke her language, and gladly helped.

Rachel just had to use spells to translate what Heiki said – it was not ideal with the complex language, but it would have to do.

They overheard a male voice they did not recognise coming down the stairs. 'Volüsa there is no one in there, so I'm not getting dressed. End of, I don't have time for your games.'

The little girl chuckled, 'Then prepare to be embarrassed cos they're _girls_.'

Upon learning his younger sister was not lying, or being, well, a kid, he did begin to feel embarrassed. In only a pair of boxers and carrying his sister, he did not feel he looked his best, especially since his blonde hair was everywhere, and he had bags under his green tattooed eyes. He was not overly embarrassed though, he had a well muscled body and now had girls to show it to.

'So that's Volüsa, and you're her brother? You are?' Heiki said straight away, very confidently. Rachel just stayed quiet, still needing time to grasp everything.

He wasn't phased she knew his language, and just replied, 'Venibilles, excuse me one second.'

He shouted through the house, and him and female voice had a loud, angry argument that went to fast for Rachel to follow, although Heiki smirked.

Eventually a woman came down the stairs – you could definitely tell she was their mother, with the same hair and eyes as her daughter, albeit shorter hair. It was weird seeing how young she looked, yet they knew she must be hundreds of years old. She, however, spoke in English an Alabama accent, 'What are you doing here?'

She took her daughter off her son, and spoke to her soothingly in her own language, and said to her son in English, 'First, we speak English from now on. Second, how hard is it to get you to wear clothes?'

'Sorry, I didn't really expect people to appear in my house. How stupid of me.'

'You told her to find her daddy,' the mother said, turning back to Heiki and Rachel, 'her daddy isn't in at the moment, she always fetches her brother instead, we don't quite know why.' The Witch put her child down, told her to go off and play somewhere, and continued. 'I am Owlola, my son Venibilles and my daughter Volüsa. Heiki's figured out who I am.'

Heiki nodded, 'You're the girl Serpantha's had a crush on since you were kids. So you and Serpantha?'

Owlola nodded, 'He's not here at the moment. Then again, nor should you be. We had to leave the defences down for when he got back.'

'From where?' Heiki asked, hiding her concern.

'What about Larpskendya?' Rachel interrupted.

'Where do you think? I apologise sincerely but I can't give away details, and as much as I don't want either of you here, I need to wait until one of them gets back because I need a second opinion.'

'You can have mine,' Venibilles chimed in, 'I think—'

'Shut up.'

Luckily, Serpantha arrived home at that moment. He was clearly tired, and Owlola said, 'Where's your brother?'

'Still out there,' reported Serpantha, 'I'm physically tired and tired of arguing with an idiot so I left, I've had enough of her I swear. He's fine on his own, though.'

'I'll take your word for it,' Owlola gestured to Rachel and Heiki, 'but as you see, we have bigger problems.'

'Getting to it,' He said, switching to English, speaking in that typical sing-song Irish accent of his. 'I need some form of alcoholic drink to handle this though.'

Before he could leave, Owlola picked up a bottle from behind the sofa and gave it to him, 'Way ahead of you, I know you to well.'

Serpantha near downed it then turned to Heiki and Rachel. 'Bottom line, you need to leave.'

'I didn't come all this way for that!' Heiki said, furious. 'You owe me an explanation if _nothing_ else, yet you don't even care.'

'Of course I don't,' Serpantha replied, 'that's why I fought so hard for you to be able to keep your magic and memories. That's why put so much effort into protecting your planet.'

Heiki just stood there, looking hurt, and Rachel was still in shock.

'Venibilles put some clothes on, no one needs to see that,' he added.

Rachel, while Heiki was just fuming silently and trying to work out what to say, said, 'Doesn't Larpskendya have kids?'

'No, he doesn't, and it's complicated why, before you ask. I understand you are in shock, and I understand your grief and hurt but honestly, it is not a good thing you are here.'

'I'm not leaving until I get an explanation. I've stated that many times.' Heiki stood stoic.

'You could have picked a better time, there's a battle going on right now.'

'With who?'

'Who do you think?' Serpantha snapped.

It was quite scary to see him snap like that, to be so aggressive; it seemed unnatural. The accent actually added to the terror. Heiki was used to Serpantha's anger, but he snapped quicker than he usually would.

_How much stress have you been under?_ Thought Heiki, but all she said was, 'Well then what happened?'

'She didn't listen. She didn't care, what more is there to it?'

'Well how many are there I mean how hard can it be?' Heiki asked caughtiously.

'Too many,' Serpantha said. 'I don't know what she's done but it isn't good. Usually it was small numbers and I am not sure why she bothered to pick petty fights, but now there is hundreds, and they keep coming. Whatever she pulled it's an amazing trick, but I have no time to figure it out because all my time is spent fighting, so sorry if you aren't my top priority.'

'If you let me fight—' began Venibilles.

'No!' Serpantha snapped, again. 'You are a child, Venibilles, and I'm not having that of my children, ever. I lost one child I'm not losing another.'

Rachel interrupted, concerned, 'You lost a child?'

'I'll explain later,' dismissed Heiki, and Rachel wondered how much Heiki knew that she didn't.

'All this is getting us no where,' Owlola sighed, 'Serpantha, go see Volüsa, and get yourself rested. I'll explain it all.'

Serpantha walked off, and Owlola began the story…


	3. Chapter 3: White Hole

2 months ago on Ool

Calen stood in her mother's tower. She recovered from all the damage the Griddas had caused her, and Ool was nearly back to normal. Still she struggled to take control and lead, how would she get her species back on its feet? There was no way she could ever agree to Serpantha's deal… How would she go about convincing the others? She needed to be the ideal leader, she could not test them now. Calen never had the same respect her mother did, nor was anyone greatly afraid of her. She needed all she had lost back, but how could she lead them to rebuild such an empire in such short time?

Her answer came in a surprising form.

Calen turned away from her eye window, and got the shock of her life.

There, in her eye tower, was a Wizard. He wore a red robe, and highly resembled Serpantha, but it was not. Serpantha had a feminine face, much softer. The Wizard had a hard face, one look at him said not to mess with him.

He spoke in more serious, heavy voice, very different to Serpantha's. 'Hello Calen. I am here to help.'

'Get away Wizard!' roared Calen, building her defences.

'No. You want your power restored don't you?'

'Who are you and why should I believe you wish to help?'

'My name is not important, and what other chance have you got? See, I am not like Serpantha, I just want to help.'

'How would you help?' she asked, much more willing to accept his offer.

He just smiled.

Orin Fen, present day

Although they would all feel more comfortable if Venibilles would get dressed, his argument was that it was his house and he should be free to dress how he liked, and he would not leave as he was interested in what would happen. So Owlola had to explain how Calen had gone quite for a few years, and then started with small attacks and antagonising, but they dismiss it as just petty fighting and thought she'd eventually come around.

Until about a week ago, when she suddenly launched an attack towards Earth, and Serpantha had to go stop it – once she drew the Wizards out, she showed her army, threatening to attack Earth. That was the presence Rachel had sensed the presence of spells rather than someone's scent. Rachel made a mental note to ask about how that worked later. If, in fact, there was a later.

Rachel had trouble taking it all in. Not just the business with Calen, but everything – it was like when the magic goes out your childhood, quite literally in this case really, and you see things for what they are. She remembered Heiki once called it 'Depressive reality' or something. Seeing Serpantha that stressed, angry, and even drinking just hurt her more than she felt it should. They were real people with real feelings, and while she was still in awe of them, she saw their flaws, and their pain and joy. It almost made the whole thing harder, because subconsciously Rachel just wanted to run back and have everything be the way it used to. But that would never happen. It could never be like that.

'What does she want then?' Rachel asked, 'and how did she get this army? This all sounds so far-fetched and insane.'

'We thought that too,' Serpantha said, obviously back. 'Honestly when I heard about it from her I thought she had gone insane but somehow she has produced a massive army, and while the battle is concerning enough, I need to go out there and figure out what's going on.'

'This is all too much,' Rachel said, 'I mean this is all going too fast.'

'As I said, if you had come at any other time it would have been better. I'm going back out there now. I advise you go home.'

Heiki stood up. 'I'm coming with you.'

Serpantha looked at her for a long time, and then simply said, 'OK. Go, upstairs, change. Venibilles I trust Heiki to keep you safe so you can go up too, if you wish.'

Venibilles scoffed, 'I don't need her to look after me.'

'Yes, you do, now get your big head upstairs.' Serpantha looked to Rachel, 'I would recommend you come too. If you don't feel able, then that's fine, but I have an idea.'

Rachel nodded, and all three went upstairs.

Owlola looked to Serpantha, 'You are sure this has a good chance of working?'

'Nothing else has worked; I might as well try this. If I can find out where all those Highs are coming from I can shut it down.'

Owlola nodded, 'Although every means she could have done this is very heavy, it makes me sick. I can't stand the idea of losing him, and I know it would crush you.'

Serpantha nodded. 'I think I understand now, though. You are going to have to trust me.'

All three came back down, wearing what was basically a black tracksuit, yet they were protective. Used for training – Heiki was used to wearing one, Rachel was far from trained, but Serpantha seemed to trust her, so she figured she wasn't totally incapable.

'Weird, I expected you to be more out of shape Heiki,' grinned Serpantha.

'Don't think you can make me laugh and this will all be OK. You'll need more than that.' Heiki tried to be serious, but she could not hide her happiness due to how much she had missed Serpantha.

Rachel wasn't sure why that would be funny, it sounded more insulting, but she figured it must be some kind of inside joke.

He was the only one who knew everything about her, and he was her best friend. They understood each other because they had very similar backgrounds, and most of all they made each other laugh. But Heiki refused to let herself forget how her trust in people was broken, even though she battled with herself because she knew it wasn't his fault.

'Heiki you know the procedure, don't you?' He said, interrupting her thoughts.

Heiki nodded, and Serpantha shifted away.

Serpantha appeared next to his brother, who was currently fighting back all spells. 'I have an idea. Long story short Heiki, Rachel and Venibilles are here. I'll explain later. Swap places with them.'

Larpskendya shifted away without a word to his nephew and the girls, and did not say anything except, 'Go.'

The three arrived next to Serpantha, and he immediately said, 'Keep this up, shield all attacks, I'm going out. Don't show your faces.'

Serpantha flew out in plain site to the middle of the battlefield to Calen. Serpantha stopped the few attacks at first, but then Calen gave the order to stop, intrigued at Serpantha's actions.

'How are you getting all these Witches?' Serpantha asked bluntly.

'Going straight into it like that, really?' Calen said, disappointed. 'I expected more. However, why would I tell you?'

'I have a rough idea of what this could be, Calen, and it's a lot more serious than you think, and dangerous. Not just for my kind, for the entire universe, and yes, that includes you.'

'You think that would talk me out of chasing what I want?' She seemed genuinely bewildered, 'If you have the guts you can go look for yourself…'

'I will,' Serpantha said, and that's when Heiki instructed Rachel and Venibilles to drop the shield and shift to Serpantha.

Calen was stunned, 'What happened to leaving Earth alone?'

'I lied, just like you, I suppose.' Serpantha began breaking his way through the high Witches, while Venibilles, Rachel and Heiki split up to distract as many Highs as possible. Rachel and Venibilles attacked anywhere and everywhere, but Heiki staye din front of Calen, keeping her busy – so she could not give orders.

Both stood silently looking at each other for a while, until Heiki suddenly drew back and fired and attack. She then began franticly shifting towards Serpantha, while firing attacks at Calen to keep her following her.

_This plan better work_, _Serpantha_, she thought, _it's a bit thin._

They seemed to come to an end of all the Witches, only Calen was close to them, Heiki made sure of that – in case they needed her to stop whatever was going on.

Larpskendya made the powerful shift to next to his brother, and released a spell of astounding power that stunned the Highs, rendering all but a few of Calen's army useless for a few minutes.

Calen was outnumbered, and unsure what to do.

'Show us what you're doing,' Serpantha said threateningly.

Calen had no choice but to take them, but she made sure they flew to prolong the time it would take to get there. Serpantha dreaded what they could possibly find.

Venibilles was in shock over the whole battle, breathing heavily, he could not really believe what just happened, and Rachel was still very vacant. Then again, so was Larpskendya. He seemed so different, so quiet, and guilty. But a battlefield isn't really the best time to mend friendships. It was odd how her and Larpskendya were both shut off during this, yet Heiki and Serpantha just went into business mode and focused on what they had to do.

What Calen brought them to even Serpantha could not hide his shock. Although, only Serpantha knew what it was.

There was not a perfect way to describe what they saw. It was like a black whole, yet shot out blindingly white light, swirling into a point in the middle.

'Calen!' Serpantha shouted angrily, much in the way a parent would, which was surprising, 'Do you have any idea what this is?'

Calen actually stammered, she couldn't believe herself, 'N-not really, no… I…'

Everyone looked to Serpantha, expecting him to explain what it was.

'It's complicated,' he said, 'however we have to go inside, and then I will explain. Calen that includes you.'

Calen was highly against the idea, but she didn't have much of a choice, and to make sure she didn't try to run the Wizards made her fly in front.

'What's going on?' Rachel asked Heiki, 'I'm scared, Heiks, what have we gotten into?'

'We're safe,' she answered, 'that's all I know. Equally, it's all that matters right now.'

They found themselves speeding up as they drew closer, which is unnerving in the least, especially when you have no idea what it actually is, and all you know is Highs come from there.

However, something felt so wrong about the light that consumed them. Rachel felt every emotion she had ever felt in her life, all at once. Yet everyone else seemed fine. Was it just her, or did they hide it? Moreover, did she want to know?

The next thing she remembered was standing on… nothing. There was nothing. Just white and the six of them. It was more than just nothing, though, there wasn't a sound, they felt nothing, and they were standing on nothing? How were they standing? It felt solid, but it was just white light. They had all turned to face each other, yet no one said anything, which did not help.

'Only way out is forward,' Serpantha announced. 'We need to find the source of this. Try not to look at the walls. Before someone asks why, all of you just try it briefly.'

Rachel turned a looked into the white light behind her, which she figured might be a wall. How was she to know? It all looked the same.

She felt her self thrust into a dark bedroom. Earth. She dared not move. She saw someone sleeping on a bed, and once her vision came into focus, she realised it was Heiki. For a split second, she wanted to run and wake her up, but then remembered what happened.

Serpantha appeared standing at the foot of the bed, and Rachel went to say his name and ask him what was going on – he seemed the only one in the know – but something in her would not let her.

Serpantha used a spell to wake Heiki up, which Rachel thought was unusual, but she did not think too deep – she figured she had to accept what was happening, and ask for explanations later.

Heiki sat up and saw him. She used a spell to turn on the lights.

She immediately knew it was a Wizard, but had short messy black hair and deep brown eyes, again looking young as she expected, but he switched between looking young and old, he looked rugged yet had a soft face at the same time. It was strange, she couldn't quite figure him out.

'Who are you?' she asked, still trying to wake up fully.

'Serpantha,' he answered simply.

'Helpful, thanks. Just leave me alone, I want everyone to go away.' Heiki said, cold yet angry.

'No,' Serpantha replied, half-laughing, 'you can't push people away you're whole life. You cannot deal with how you feel this way. For the record, I am Larpskendya's brother.'

'Oh,' Heiki said, sighing, 'come to have a go at me?'

'No, actually, I wanted to say I am impressed by your fighting talent. You have amazing potential, if used the right way. Problem being you did not. This is in no way your fault, I honestly do not blame you whatsoever, but shutting yourself away and hiding is not making things right.'

'Why would anyone forgive me? Just leave me alone.' Heiki looked away from him.

'Go find Rachel. Apologise to her – that is all I ask, all I want from you. I wanted to make you an offer, too, but you have to learn to trust people again to receive it, starting with Rachel.'

'Thanks but I'm kind of done with offers and deals and promises and trust.' Heiki replied.

'Drop the attitude because I'm not here to waste my time,' Serpantha raised his voice, 'I am here through my own free will and I do not need to be. I could leave you to lock yourself in a room all day and sulk, yet when I try to help I get treated like that?'

Heiki wanted to say 'whatever' and make him leave, but something about him intrigued her, and she wanted, almost desperately, to get to know him, yet she still had no trust in people, which stopped her reaching out. Not knowing how to solve this internal battle with herself, she just said, 'What offer?'

'You're a very skilled fighter,' he answered, back to normal, 'and now we have an even bigger enemy, Griddas, and it is almost certain Earth will be attacked. I wish to train your spells and train you physically. So in a case of Earth invasion where no one can be here but your race, you can train others and defend the Earth. It is not an ideal situation, but if you are not interested, I will leave.'

Heiki was silent for a long time. She wanted this; she _needed_ this, but she never thought she would be able to get over how she felt and be able to.

Serpantha sensed this, so added, 'If you took all that negative energy inside of you Heiki, all your frustrations and depression, and channelled it to doing something constructive you will be one of the best fighters.'

Heiki looked into his eyes, and just said, 'OK. I'll go find Rachel in the morning. But if I want to quit at any time, I can.'

'Of course,' Serpantha agreed, 'believe me, I understand how you feel, and as we get to know each other better you will see why. I promise.'

With that, Serpantha left and Rachel was jolted back into nothingness.

As soon as everyone turned back from the walls, Serpantha said, 'You were only gone a few seconds, yet you experience memories, often your worst, when looking at the walls.'

'I didn't see my own,' Rachel spoke up, 'yet everyone else seemed to, I don't understand. Why are we seeing memories anyway?'

'Sometimes you do not see your own, which is another reason looking at the walls is not a good idea,' he explained, very calmly, 'As for why we see them… I doubt any of you will believe me, but this is almost travelling through time. Every event in Calen's lifetime was in this pocket, and she was getting long dead Highs from there, but I'll explain that later. When we entered it now includes every event from our lives.'

Calen objected, 'It is not altering time, I merely took them from before they died. It is hardly dangerous.'

'Hardly dangerous?' Serpantha was almost shocked at her ignorance, 'Calen if I wished to I could bring back anyone I have known who has died, and for me, that is many, many people. Unlike you I realised how wrong that would be. However, one thing interests me other than your ignorance, the fact you did not bring back your mother suggests you did not accomplish this alone. Is there something you are not telling us?'

'I did it alone,' Calen looked offended, 'What makes you think I need her?'

Serpantha rolled his eyes, deciding it was pointless arguing with her.

'How does this all work then?' Venibilles asked, 'I know you can look at memories like that, in your own and others heads, but to be able to make them solid and bring people back…'

'Clever observation, however even I am not sure how this works. I have heard of it working in theory that if memories were made solid in a place like this you could bring people back, yet that is the limit of my knowledge.'

'And Calen's,' finished Heiki, 'so whatever the source of power is it has to be massive, it would take an enormous amount of magic to do this.'

'Exactly, and we need to find that source and stop it. When we do, I am unsure what will happen, thanks to Calen we could all be dead by the end of this.'

Rachel looked directly at Serpantha, 'Where do we go though? It's all white, how are we meant to see where we're going?'

'Forward looks like a decent direction. Just let me lead, Witches and Wizards eyesight is a bit more tuned and we can see more difference in colour and forward is a darker shade of white so that must go somewhere. However I have no idea how long this will take, so you all may sort out your issues with each other on the way.'


	4. Chapter 4: Time

After they had been walking for considerable time in silence, with Calen walking between Serpantha and Larpskendya, Serpantha said, 'Are you ready to tell us the truth yet Calen?'

Calen looked shocked, but the fakery was apparent to the Wizards.

'Apparently not,' Larpskendya joined in.

Serpantha looked her in the eye, disgusted, and said, 'Why?'

'Why shouldn't I do what I have to to win?' Calen dismissed.

Serpantha surprisingly stayed calm. 'You waited less than a decade; if you insisted on continuing to murder you could have waited.'

'I was desperate; I did not want to wait my entire lifetime. I have done my waiting.'

Serpantha just scoffed, 'Desperation? Is that really the best you can come up with? You know I was forgiving last time you nearly killed everyone because that was desperation and I understood. I know what that feels like because when I was younger I left my best friend for dead in the middle of a battle because I was so scared for my own life. What you are doing now is just being what your kind has always been, mindless killers.'

Calen was silent, and to fill the awkwardness Venibilles said, 'If you want my input you should have killed her…'

Serpantha turned around, 'Believe or not that is not helping son.'

'That's your son?' Calen asked.

Without looking at her, Serpantha replied, 'My second.'

'What about your first?'

'You got him killed. Therefore, unbelievably, my main concern is saving my son's life. Not yours, so I would more than watch your back.'

While that shut Calen up, Rachel wanted to know more, and she figured if the Wizards were not respectful enough to abandon her and Heiki, she was allowed to be disrespectful and ask about his son, 'When and how did you have a son before Venibilles?'

Gaze firm ahead, he stonily replied, 'When Larpskendya was still very young after our mother had died, I could not cope, and I got drunk one night with a friend of mine. I would explain further but I think you get it. He died when the Griddas took control of Ool.'

'I refuse to accept blame for any of that,' Calen interrupted, 'that was not my decision.'

Serpantha did not answer, there was a brief silence before Rachel turned to Venibilles, 'I meant to ask and since we have the time now, I'm guessing your species ages quicker, then?'

'Obviously,' Venibilles replied. 'I mean in your years I'm only five years old, but by your physiology I have the body of a fourteen year old male.'

'So—' Rachel began.

Heiki cut her off, 'How many questions do you actually have because I'm afraid this might last a long time.'

'Sorry,' Rachel sulked, 'unlike you I don't know these things.'

Heiki knew it was mean, but she just rolled her eyes at Rachel's sulking. They had much bigger problems than Rachel's feelings. Bitterness grew in Heiki about Rachel sometimes when she got upset, as Heiki had it so much harder. She still felt sympathy for Rachel, was very close to her, and truly, truly loved her, but sometimes Heiki's rage got in the way.

Suddenly it dawned on Rachel that they were not only effectively travelling through time, but had been gone from Earth for so long.

'Oh God,' she said, 'we're travelling through time; we will come out at the same time when we leave, won't we?'

There was a silence, until Rachel caught up with Serpantha and looked directly at him, 'Will we?'

'I don't know, Rachel.' He said, defeat in his voice. 'We need to close this gap in time, what happens when we close it we are yet to find out. I'm sorry.'

Rachel stopped walking and everyone else kept going. She was distraught – she found herself wishing this was a dream, even though she knew it wasn't. She bargained with herself, she would rather be on Ool with Griddas thirteen years old again and sleeping, dreaming all this. She would take anything, anything for this not to be real.

She had to start walking again to catch up, and when she did, Heiki took her hand, trying to silently reassure her. She did not know what to say, but she attempted something anyway, 'Rachel it's gonna be OK. We have a lot of intelligence and power amongst us, we'll do it.'

'No,' Rachel shook her head bitterly, 'it won't be OK, don't _lie_ to me.'

'Come here,' Larpskendya finally spoke, turning around and taking her hand, stopping them walking, he called to Serpantha, 'we'll catch up.'

He turned around and they all stopped, 'You can't use magic to catch up. No shifting or flying it could completely destroy whatever structure is here.'

'I know, we'll catch up.'

Serpantha looked concerned, but made everyone keep going.

Larpskendya knelt down and grabbed Rachel's hands, looking her in the eye. 'I won't promise this will all be fine, because honestly I don't know – nor does Serpantha. Now, however, we need to focus on what we have to do, that being stopping whatever Calen is doing.'

'Why should I trust you? You left and wouldn't even talk to me!' Rachel wasn't angry, just hurt.

'I am sorry, Rachel,' he said, 'I truly am. It crushed me to have to leave and you have to believe that, however I honestly had no choice. You have to trust me.'

'Why should I? You left. You couldn't even say goodbye. You couldn't say anything? And everyone else seems to know things I don't especially Heiki. Why won't you have children? Heiki knew Serpantha long before me, why? Did I even matter?'

Larpskendya sighed, 'It is not like that Rachel, and you know it isn't. If you must know, the reason I do not want children yet is something I do not tell people. About forty years ago or so, I fell in love with a human woman. Both her and the child I had with her died. Unlike my brother, I find it harder to move on. She was the only person I ever loved; you have to understand I keep this from people because it is difficult to speak of.'

Rachel drew back, he kept his composure while telling her but she could really feel the pain in his voice. 'Oh.'

'That's as much detail I will go into for now, I promise I will elaborate later, which there will be one Rachel, you have to trust me that I will do whatever it takes to protect you.'

Rachel just started crying, 'I missed you. I need you. I don't want you to leave me again.'

Larpskendya held her and let her cry on his shoulder, but Rachel needed to compose herself quickly, which she did. Once she was OK, Larpskendya took her hand, and stood up, and said, 'Come on, we need to catch up.'

They began running like children in a playground. It had to be the happiest Rachel had felt in a long time.

'Mature,' Serpantha commented when they had finished catching up by running.

'You are, are you?' his brother teased.

Larpskendya was more his usual self, which Rachel missed so much, but he was still vacant – he still looked deeply concerned.

'In good news,' Venibilles announced, changing the subject, 'we shouldn't be far from the centre. The memories you now see on the walls are some of the worst we have, and they are much faster. It is because whoever or whatever is controlling this thing, wants us out. I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to seeing what it is.'

Larpskendya was impressed and looked at his brother, 'How did you work that out?'

'I didn't,' he laughed, 'they did.' He gestured to Heiki and Venibilles.

Larpskendya smiled.

'Am I the only one here without some kind of super intelligence?' Rachel asked.

'Don't worry; I've never been the intelligent type.' Larpskendya reassured her.

Serpantha had one of his usual moments of immaturity, and said, 'You were always more the magical type. Then we have Calen, who is vacant in both fields.'

Larpskendya looked disapprovingly to him, but Heiki and Serpantha just laughed like children. Calen stayed silent, although not out of annoyance, fear or even not knowing what to say – she had begun observing, and Rachel made a mental note to keep an eye on her. It was probably the first time in her life she had not been afraid of a High Witch. Which felt nice, but Rachel knew she could not let her guard down. Heiki and Serpantha were behaving like children as usual, but they had in no way dropped their guard, no one had – she figured that must be important; she figured she had to follow suit.

Heiki wanted to be able to forget the situation she was in, and just enjoy time with Serpantha – she had missed everything so much: the fact their sense of humour was the same, the way he spoke, she even missed training. Which she never hated in the first place, it was just that it usually consisted of Serpantha yelling at her and criticizing her. Which wasn't mean at all, it's just Serpantha understood what to say and do to make her want to work hardest, and Heiki had always been defiant and wanting to prove others wrong, so if he told her she couldn't do it – it just motivated her. Although it could sometimes lead to fights and obscenities, none of it was meant, and she actually enjoyed that too.

Both girls feared what would happen after this. Even if they survived, who was to say they would not have their memories wiped and be put back on Earth? It was horrible to not fully trust the people they loved most, however it was mostly fear of losing them again that made them distrust.

'How do we know when we're near, though?' Rachel asked, 'I mean, how do you know what your worst memory is? When you see it, of course, we're nearly there, but how are we meant to know?

'I know my worst memories, and we are almost there.' Serpantha replied.

Rachel wondered what it was, and equally wondered if she would want to know.

While that sounded reassuring, they didn't know how long they had actually been walking, as time was almost frozen there. They didn't feel tired, or hungry or anything – just emptiness. It felt like they had walked a long time, there really wasn't a way of knowing, and Rachel tried not to think too deep or she would begin to think too deep and upset herself.

Serpantha turned to Calen, 'It would be really helpful if you knew what we would find, yet I know you have no idea what's there either, do you?'

'No,' admitted Calen, annoyed, 'I don't see why it matters, though, because it gives me what I want.'

'If you wanted yourself dead, there is a spell for that…' Venibilles piped up.

Serpantha smiled, 'I have never been more proud of you.' He paused. 'However something to create this much power as to bring memories to life…'

Heiki read his mind, 'May not be a some_thing _exactly?'

'In short, yes,' Serpantha looked to Calen, 'yet you absolutely refuse to give us an answer, so whatever happens I hope you are willing to take responsibility for it.'

'Serpantha for once can you tell me what you are thinking?' Larpskendya asked, with genuine concern.

'No,' he answered bluntly, 'I barely want to let it cross my mind, let alone yours. Besides, it's impossible.'

'Everyone has different perceptions of impossible,' Rachel interrupted, 'I mean, look at most human's perception of impossible, to humans, this is impossible. If I wasn't here right now I would say you can't change time and you can't alter reality.'

Serpantha didn't answer.


	5. Chapter 5: Things Best Left Unsaid

After considerable time, Serpantha stopped them all, looked at the wall. 'There is a corner right there, and when we turn it we're going to come face to face with whatever is controlling this place.'

'How do you know?' Rachel asked.

Venibilles cut in and answered, 'One memory before the worst one, isn't that obvious?'

Heiki looked dead ahead, and Calen braced herself for what she knew had to be there.

Serpantha turned to his brother and looked him in the eyes, 'Whatever happens you need to trust me and listen to me, because I think my prediction was right.'

Larpskendya nodded.

They turned the corner to see the same Wizard who agreed to help Calen. He was smiling, yet his expression looked sinister. He walked towards Serpantha until he was directly facing him.

'Well done,' he spoke, in a voice much deeper than Larpskendya's or Serpantha's, 'you figured it out. Not that I am impressed you should have been able to, and it's rather disappointing you did not figure it out sooner.'

Serpantha just said, 'Hello, father.'

That is when everyone drew back from them both.

'What?' Calen could not hold back.

Serpantha turned so he could see everyone, including his father, and said, 'My father, you weren't expecting that were you Calen? He walked out on my entire family when Larpskendya was very young, and my mother was pregnant. He just left the planet and we never heard of him again. Obviously, the whole situation is a lot more complex but this is hardly the time for life stories. Now, I will ask again, Calen, is there anything you want to tell us?'

Calen froze up.

This time Heiki turned to Calen angrily and said, 'Tell him!'

It surprised everyone, but Calen tried to keep her dignity by ignoring Heiki and saying,

as if she had the right to be angry, 'He offered to help me, and he said he would restore everything to how it should be and how it has always been.'

'Would you like to know what his idea of how things should be is?' Serpantha asked, and then addressed his father, 'You can tell everyone or I can.'

His father did not move a muscle, so Serpantha continued, 'Without immense detail, he wants things back to how they were when I was a child. A peak in the war, both sides fighting constantly and evenly numbered. For whatever reason, he enjoys all of the fighting.'

'I don't understand…' Rachel said.

'He's pro-war.'

Rachel's confusion increased. 'But how can any one from Orin Fen be _pro-war_?'

This time, Larpskendya spoke up. 'There are some people who can't get past their own superiority and their own selfish, righteous indignation, and they can't weep for what's really going on. They see nothing, they hear nothing, and they receive nothing. All they know is what they have been told: by memories of others, by their parents before them, and by a false sense of history. They point the finger at others who do not subscribe to what they view as Right and Wrong. Very much the way of thinking High Witches have, however our species isn't perfect either, and there become people such as my father.'

Serpantha added, 'In short of what my brother said, he believes killing is the only way forward, and will more than willingly take another's life. Right now, however, I'm confused to why he's doing this.'

His father scoffed, 'You say that as if you're innocent son.'

He then created a misty image of Serpantha as a child.

Rachel could never imagine Serpantha being a child, but there he was, young faced, black messy hair and a tracksuit – but a very, very vicious look.

'So you all think Serpantha is a saint? That's the little boy who knew how to fight battles. That little boy wanted all of his friends to fail. That boy enjoyed killing. He knew what I was leaving for him, and wanted it.' He looked directly into Serpantha's eyes, 'He's you.'

Serpantha hid how much this was affecting him well. But not perfectly. This was clearly very hard for him, and clearly brought back the worst times of his life. 'Yes,' he agreed, destroying the image. 'But that isn't me. Who I was as a child influenced who I am now, but in no way am I the same now. I am proud of that whether you are or not. I regret my past, deeply; however, I am grateful you walked out on us, because it turned out to shape me into a much better person. And I cannot blame myself, as you force me to fight as child. I can never forgive you for that.'

'What do you mean he forced you to fight?' asked Rachel, even more confused.

'I mean _exactly_ that.'

'Oh, but you got older and after I left things began to change, didn't they? I could not trust you to raise my family – I should have known.' His father said in disgust. ''You had such a promising start in life, him on the other hand—' he nodded towards Larpskendya, '—you raised that. Congratulations, a perfectly good waste of magic.'

Rachel interjected. 'What do you mean things changed? You didn't used to be like him…'

The Wizard gave a sinister laugh. 'For years he was. Sadly, he grew up and he met people like Owlola, and he stopped believing what I did. Of course he never told me, he never had the nerve to stand up to me that way, so he deceived me for years. I left believing you were old enough to raise my children to my beliefs – only when it was too late to return I realised my mistake.' He lightened up, which was even more unsettling to witness. 'But such things can be amended if you offer the right things.'

Another misty image was created of a human Chinese woman, with short black hair with a flat fringe, emerald green eyes, and a circular face. She was lifelike, yet there was an eerie sense about her. He made the figure walk right to Larpskendya, and when she faced him, although she was much shorter than he was, she put her hand to his face, stroking down his cheek to his chin, still the same full-lipped smile.

Serpantha looked at his father pleadingly. 'No. That _isn't_ fair that crosses a line.'

Larpskendya just breathed heavily at the image, having to stop himself from reaching out to her, almost forgetting she wasn't real.

'I have the ability to bring the dead back to life, and you of all people are objecting?' His father lightly laughed. 'You could bring back so many people. Even your sister who you yourself sent to her death.'

'I didn't send her to her death; she wanted to go!' Serpantha said, not truly believing it.

Addressing Larpskendya, their father said, 'I could bring her back to life son – the woman you love. All you have to do is say two words and I can do it, maybe Heiki here can make a clever observation about how I bring the dead back if she likes being so smart.'

Serpantha rapidly turned to his brother and nearly shouted. 'Don't listen to him. The dead should stay dead; this is not something to tamper with. If what I have told you means anything you know how disgusting he believes interspecies relationships are, do you really trust him over me?'

Larpskendya stumbled to try to say something for a few agonising seconds, until he said shamefully, 'Do it.'

He couldn't meet anyone's gaze – not even his father's – and as a blinding light from the woman's body engulfed them all it was impossible to see what was going on. The next thing anyone saw was Larpskendya catching her as she heavily fell.

What was surprisingly more remarkable than this woman coming back to life was the way Larpskendya reacted to her being in his arms. His eyes, which were so dead even when he smiled, lit up – his entire face did – and he almost laughed at the shock and happiness. The way his eyes watered from joy took away so much seriousness from the situation, and momentary seeing this potent, renowned Wizard made so happy by the presence of a mere human woman made everyone happy themselves, in some kind of inadvertent transference no one truly understood. Everyone except Calen and the Wizard who had brought the woman back to life. While Calen was simply in awe of how simply one person – a _human!_ – could make him so happy; moreover make him gamble so much. His father, however, stood in amusement at how easily his son could be manipulated through a human. It became immediately obvious just how much Larpskendya cared for her. Not just by how delicately he tried to rouse her, but from how he looked her, his mannerism, and the fact he risked so much to bring her back despite his every instinct.

When she finally woke and shakily stood with his help she looked around. It became clear her head was still spinning and it was likely her vision was blurry, but gaining her composure and looking around carefully at everyone, she finally spoke in a Scottish accent, 'If anyone would like to explain to me what's going on that'd be grand.'

No one spoke, everyone was too shocked, Larpskendya was too overwhelmed with emotion; Serpantha simply looked at his brother in pure betrayal.

Larpskendya couldn't speak.

She turned around to see him, and they both held each other's forearms, which wasn't entirely for the purpose of steadying themselves. For a long time, they gazed at each other, saying nothing yet so much.

Finally, Larpskendya managed one word. 'Zina?'

Zina looked confused and simply said, 'Yes?' she gave a small nervous laugh, 'what's the matter? What happened?'

'You…'

'…died?' Zina completed, her head beginning to ache at all the memories flooding back.

After a few deep breaths, Zina broke away from him and turned powerfully to Serpantha, although her voice was still trembling. 'Care to coherently explain?'

Serpantha looked directly at his brother and said with almost eerie tranquillity, 'No. Frankly I'm too angry to.'

'Oh thanks, that's professional.'

'She has a point,' added Larpskendya.

Serpantha glared at him, saying nothing, which almost made the situation worse.

In a desperate attempt to justify himself, Larpskendya said, 'You would have done the same if it were Owlola.'

'Amusing,' joined their father, 'because you've been gone so long that it is.'

Serpantha shot back quickly with one word. 'Elaborate.'

'Knowing the fate of her own mother did you really think she would last longer than she had to?' His father practically teased. 'Obviously that should not give you hope that you have not been gone many years, because you have. Unsurprisingly, I am disgusted at how humanised Venibilles managed to grow up – one look at him shows how smug, proud, and vain he is, and more, but your daughter will grow up more so.'

'There is _nothing_ wrong with being human, my son has a right to live his life anyway he wants, my opinion is hardly needed if he is not harming anyone. All I've ever taught, or aimed to teach, anyone is that they can live their life how they wish, as long as they accept any consequences of their lifestyle.'

'What happens to Volüsa?' Venibilles spoke up, not bothering to hide concern or fear.

Serpantha shot him a warning look, but Venibilles continued to stare at his grandfather firmly.

'She became almost disgustingly human.'

Zina interrupted him. 'Don't mind me, just act as if I'm not here, and insult my kind.'

Ignoring her, the Wizard continued. 'Luckily she had the morality not to have children, but she still married a human. It must run in the family.' He looked directly to Rachel. 'She actually married your brother, which explains why they never had children. She got her retribution for it all in the end, but that doesn't justify her behaviour.'

Rachel yelled at him. 'You mean Eric's dead? We've been gone _that_ long!'

He mocked her, looking down on her like an insect he could easily crush. 'Intelligent girl.'

'Oh don't start. Just because you're old and bitter enough to be willing to kill your own family for disagreeing with your sick values and games! Time isn't solid anymore, I know I can go back to when I came from, so you can stop trying to manipulate everyone into agreeing with you.'

'Whoever this girl is,' Zina smiled in approval. 'I like her.'

'And I'm human,' Rachel added, hearing Zina's praise. 'Something you think is for some reason awful. If Volüsa grew up, or grows up, to be someone who was able to help him, something I couldn't do. Ever. No matter what he was still closed up and hostile, but Volüsa changed that. And that makes her remarkable, and it makes Eric remarkable if he got _Serpantha's daughter_, a Witch, to fall in love with him, and stay with him on Earth. Which only draws me to the conclusion that you have no idea what you're talking about.'

'I love her.' Zina announced.

'How sweet, are you finished?'

Although he was annoyed at how his father could dismiss Rachel that way, Serpantha decided to let it go, and instead ask, 'Was she happy?'

'For the time she spent with Eric, yes, she was, although as I said previously she got her comeuppance.'

'I can imagine,' murmured Serpantha. 'Unlike you, however, I have no desire to see the future – especially my own daughter's. What happened to you to make you want to?'

'That's when we come to _why_ you hate me,' grinned his father. 'How I was as a father is your own burden to bare, however why you're so frustrated with me right now is because I go against everything you believe. I have no reason for why I'm doing this, I just enjoy it – I wasn't raise to, and you will hate me for saying this but your mother was wrong about everything, and thought she knew much more than she did.'

'If there was no reason then why leave when you did?' Serpantha challenged him, refusing to accept what he was saying.

'I felt I could trust you, and frankly I was tired of looking after my children because I never liked any of them anyway.' He shrugged. 'Not all was lost, though; you managed to raise some respectable fighters. Just look at Toyé! Oh, but you even managed to get her killed. The only reason Larpskendya's still alive is magic and luck, I'm sure you'll outlive him though, why break the habit of a lifetime?'

It was clear to everyone how much that comment affected Serpantha.

Unsurprisingly, Calen asked, 'Who's Toyé?'

Sharply, Serpantha turned to her and said, 'My sister. The youngest in our family. She did reconnaissance – although to you they are the equivalent of the slime that first crawled out of the oceans, your magic pattern is so similar that you fail to detect it as a threat. She was the best of the best, and I wanted her to find out what was happening on Ool after Heebra's death. I was too foolish to realise you can do something right a thousand times; you only have to get it wrong once. She was wary of the idea and I should never have pushed her to go – it's not that she was unable to return, she managed to – she died in my arms, there was nothing I could do. It's the only time I had ever seen her look truly distressed or frightened, and she looked at me begging me to help and I could do nothing.' He paused. 'She died in such a horrific way because we were trying to help you.'

Calen was frozen, unsure what to say or even feel – should she feel guilty? Moreover, what why was she feeling sympathy and empathy? She was completely sane of mind now, and had everything – why should she care? She decided it was just his overpowering presence, and the way that when he spoke his words had such an emotional affect on everyone. Not _just_ her.

'It's called guilt and shame get used to it,' Zina spoke up, again, as if she was reading everyone's thoughts. 'So Toyé's…dead? What could have happened that was bad enough to justify her going to Ool?'

'I remember that happening,' Heiki murmured, having witnessed first-hand just how distraught Serpantha had been over it.

'How could I forget Heiki!' The Wizard began, again.

Before he could continue, Heiki cut him off. 'Look I know you're going round everyone here and making them angry or sad for whatever you hope to achieve and I'm sure that's great fun, but you have nothing to use to get to me. Everyone I know or have known is right here with me, and you can't say anything to me I haven't already said to myself. Or that I don't already know.'

'Exactly, Heiki's right – stop with the sick games.' Serpantha added. 'As for me it's impossible for me to feel more guilt than I already do; you're wasting your time.'

'Oh I think you could,' said his father cheerily.

'Tell me how you're doing this!' Serpantha became desperate, yelling at his father in frustration. It was rare for Serpantha to lose his composure – no High Witch or Gridda had ever had that affect on him. The way he snapped clearly scared both Zina and Larpskendya, and even though Heiki had seen him this distraught before it still shook her up. Her anger towards him had completely faded; there was no way any of this was his intention.

'I was about to tell you,' his father said, as if he was hurt, 'however you cannot blame me if you manage to feel more guilty. Surely this is just what you deserve.'

'Please don't confirm anymore of my suspicions…'

He did.


	6. Chapter 6: Compassion

'I won't. You can tell me.'

Serpantha took a moment to calm. His father wanted him to be angry; he always used to do this. He decided to stray from the subject. 'Such things as bringing Zina back to life make me wonder why you changed your mind – you were trying to kill us, now you make Larpskendya in debt to you. I may be the only one who noticed your eyes when you were rebuilding her body around memories. Because that is all you did. You are solidifying a memory, that is not Zina. Although I imagine she would think like Zina and have her memories, I have no proof that you are not merely controlling empty bodies.'

Larpskendya and Zina both looked despaired to each other, and Larpskendya drew her closer with one arm and she leaned into him.

'Correct,' smiled his father, as if he was proud. 'Now say what you don't want to.'

'Magic leaking.'

Heiki went wide-eyed. 'Isn't that what you demonstrated to me once?'

'Yes.' Serpantha said heavy-heartedly. 'Essentially, it is an extravagant term for stealing someone else's magic, although it is much more complex than that. I avoid detail for obvious reasons – this is a practice I would not teach to anyone no matter how much I trusted them. In fact, I believe my father and I are the only people left who know how to do it. That is not the only reason it is morally corrupt, however – magic leaking kills the victim. That magic in your eyes was in no way yours.'

'You act like magic leaking is a method of murder. Magic leaking was taught to me when I was young as I taught it to you. It was intended to help people _survive_, if someone is seconds away from death what is wrong with taking their magic to save yourself? You do not need magic after death.' He paused for effect, and then changed the subject, pushing Serpantha as much as he could. 'That lump in your throat, the feeling in your gut – that near impossible possibility, you know it's feasible and you aren't wrong, son. The idea drives you insane at best; let's see how well you keep your composure given you already lost it once.'

Serpantha didn't say anything. He couldn't. It was as if he thought by not saying it, that made it untrue.

Through all her confusion, for reasons beyond her understanding, it dawned on Rachel. She got a pang in her stomach and she knew, even if she had not yet consciously accepted it. She felt too much to specify it as anger or sadness; she was just _feeling_. It had to be true, she knew it and so did Serpantha, she didn't know how it was possible, but it happened, and no one had cared or noticed.

Heiki turned to her concerned, and rushed out the words. 'Rach what's wrong?'

As Heiki grabbed her wrist, Rachel burst out. 'Yemi!'

It made Heiki almost leap back from her in shock, for both what she was saying and how she said it. She looked desperately to Serpantha, waiting for him to tell her Rachel was wrong. Everyone else froze up, and Zina whispered to Larpskendya 'Who?' but he couldn't answer.

Serpantha gazed sturdily to his father, saying nothing, forcing his father to speak first.

'You know how, why do you not explain? You owe that and much more.'

'You put the idea in Lyrai's head, I understand that much – Lyrai is more intelligent than suggesting such a pointless activity. I know this has a perception filter around it, as when we took down Orin Fen's nothing was detected; they counteracted each other. We knew Lyrai could never manage it, because of Yemi, yet we ignored what was staring us in the face. That was you altering our perception.'

'Manage what?' Calen asked, suspicious.

'Stay out of this,' he said thinly. 'Since you won't let me shy away I will be blunt with you: is he dead?'

His father laughed softly. 'No, I did consider it, but instead I can just use his power while he's alive. When I leave here I should be enjoyable to see how good of a weapon I could fashion him into.'

Serpantha relaxed, knowing Yemi was at least alive made him less tense than before. But he wasn't safe. Or to be seen, in fact bring Yemi into the equation only posed more questions.

'As I said, you can't blame me for making you feel guiltier. You wanted to know. You forget I have watched you your entire life, everything you have done, seen, experienced, or felt. It goes for everyone here. Therefore it was easy to get Yemi.'

'Where is he?' Serpantha pressed, trying to ignore all emotion, mostly trying to ignore the overwhelming guilt.

'Not conscious, even if he remembered you you couldn't draw him away. You won't get out of this that easily!'

'I didn't expect him to be conscious. All he is to you is some kind of vessel with magic for you to control, and given how much he's being forced to do he can't hold consciousness throughout that output of magic.' Serpantha looked to the wall briefly, and then glanced back to his father. 'I hate you enough for taking my life away. I finally got all I had ever wanted. That was not enough for you, though; you had to take away a child from his family who do not remember him. He can never go back, and he will never understand why because he is too young. Involving the innocent is always taking things too far. My daughter grows up on fake promises, doomed to die with her planet because we left hundreds of High Witches in our time, who will inevitably form an army big enough to kill anything in their path. Because no one is there to stop them. I accept that or I go back to my own time and live slightly longer by fighting in a war that will never end with you around, and you won't die because you will only keep leaking magic.'

'You are correct, although you are wrong on one part, it has to be expected – when did I say Volüsa's fate was death? I must say it may be worse than death, but that is opinion. Perhaps you would like to see what Volüsa's fate is, he fate without a war, maybe if you experience it you would no longer dare to tell me this is worse. You can choose. You can live in my world or a world without war.'

'What about Yemi?' Serpantha pressed, yearning to take him away from all this.

'I get a feeling he won't matter to you when you see what happened to your daughter, all because you never came home. You can chose between two options for the future.'

Serpantha had to accept. And no one could object because they had no better ideas.

The next thing anyone knew, in the blink of an eye they had moved from the white hole to what seemed normal. City light of all colours blasted from all directions, noise of traffic echoed everywhere, pollution filled the air and there were illegible noises of city life. They were down a discreet ally way, several dumpsters clogging the already small path. Not everyone had managed to keep their balance; it was as if they had been violently pushed through to this point in time. As Heiki helped Rachel up, she said, 'Are we on Earth? This place is suspiciously like Japan.'

Before anyone could answer, everyone noticed Calen. Or, who they assumed to be Calen, merely because it had to be. For reasons yet to be known Serpantha's father had changed her. She was naturally tall and thin, around six feet tall and bony, black hair falling down her back, green eyes shining with purple and sapphire streaks, standing out against her medium brown skin. Rachel flinched upon seeing her, pinching Heiki's hand in shock, but Heiki didn't react knowing Rachel wouldn't want people to notice she was afraid.

When she spoke, it was obviously Calen. As she examined her own fingers and nails, she said, 'Why?'

'I have no idea,' Serpantha raised his eyebrows. 'He does everything for a reason, though – he's calculated, he has to be otherwise you would be able to change back, so we will find out. My brother and I are going to find out when and where we are, Heiki update everyone.'

Heiki looked shocked and almost scared. 'Really? Me?'

'Yes.' He answered simply, and then added morbidly. 'Try not to kill each other while we're gone.'

Larpskendya kissed Zina goodbye and with that, the two Wizards left.

Zina sat down on the curb, next to Venibilles who never bothered to stand up anyway. She said, 'I have no idea who you are but go on.'

Heiki seemed shy, but began talking anyway. 'No power is limitless, and no matter how much magic you have it will always decay. But while he's in the white hole his power is limitless, because he can keep stealing magic – by killing people who don't matter, or those who are already dying – so to stand a chance of defeating him we need to lure him out.'

'But we'd never have enough power to defeat him Heiks.' Rachel said delicately. 'Besides how do you know this?'

'As I said,' Heiki repeated, 'no power is limitless. He could kill millions but he would eventually fall.'

'We don't have _millions_.' scoffed Calen.

Heiki gave her a vicious look before ignoring her completely. 'And I know this because he told me, _obviously_.'

'I imagine even if we found our way back he would never give us Yemi.' Rachel said, leaning against the wall next to Zina.

'Of course not,' Heiki looked deeply concerned. 'He's a complete madman. And that's only from what I heard from Serpantha, there's more I don't know. I don't think I want to know, really.'

'My bigger concern,' mused Zina, 'is how angry Serpantha is at Larpskendya for bringing me back to life. I hate it when they argue, it ain't natural. Not to mention he's no longer visibly angry, that's when you know you've crossed a line. If he looks angry you know you can fix things, if he's like this we're all screwed.'

'Can't you fix it?' Rachel asked her. 'I mean surely you know them better than anyone else…'

Zina shook her head. 'I lived there from when I was twenty-five and I'm forty-seven. In all that time they barely argued, the most saw them argue was when Serpantha hated the idea of me living on Orin Fen.'

'Why?' Rachel slid down the wall to sit next to her, deeply confused and curious to meet the woman who got Larpskendya to fall in love with her.

'I'm human, it's a long story I will avoid telling for the time being. Anyway, Serpantha's as calculated as his father – it's where he gets it from, he's always fifteen steps in front of everyone. I imagine he has a vague idea of what to do by now.'

'But Larpskendya broke his trust that really isn't a good thing.' Heiki added.

'But he did nothing wrong!' Rachel said a little too defensively. 'Why would that break trust it wasn't—'

Heiki cut in. 'Rachel it was wrong, and it does break trust. It wasn't Zina coming back to life that mattered, it was the fact Larpskendya trusted his father – the one causing all this destruction – over him. You know, the one killing people and stealing their magic, or did you miss that explanation?'

'And we're still awaiting an explanation on the one thing we wanted to know.' Rachel added moodily. 'But instead of one of them staying to explain in the time we have they both have to go. Can't help but feel like I don't matter.'

Venibilles, who had remained morosely silent until then, said. 'They both went so they can not only discuss things – as there are things that can't be discussed around Calen, maybe you forget that – but to make their peace with each other.'

Rachel appeared slightly guilty. 'Sorry. I did pick up on mention of someone – Lyrai was it?'

'Rachel we can't discuss this is depth here.' Venibilles warned her.

'You know we can talk about who you two are.' Zina asked, 'Everyone knows but me and it's startin' to irritate me.'

'We have no idea who you are, either,' Rachel reminded her. 'I only found out about you recently.'

'He didn't speak about you. It hurt too much.' Venibilles clarified.

Zina continued, 'And what about her? Calen was the other one Heebra had right?'

Heiki smirked at the way Calen was referred to as 'the other one'.

'Heebra's dead.' Venibilles said simply.

'What'd she do?'

'I have the excellent idea of a subject change.' Heiki said, trying not to let Calen see or hear her.

Venibilles ignored her, and loosely explained. 'Rachel was Ithrea, and Heiki was Earth. If Heiki wants me to spare detail, I will just tell you Heebra tried to kill them both and she did it to herself. But it also released magic on Earth.'

Rachel looked at Venibilles panicked, and whispered. 'Calen's right there!'

'Relax,' he said loudly. 'I'd love to see her try something on anyone. We're still in stalemate, luckily, and she isn't that stupid.'

Just then Serpantha returned – without his brother. Instead, there was a girl as tall as Calen, with dark brown skin, long hair braided with streaks of red – she also had magic, no where near the same amount as a Wizard or Witch, but she was clearly more powerful than Heiki or Rachel.

'When are we then?' Heiki asked, only having to turn slightly to face him.

'The year four six eight seven. I sent Larpskendya to get Lyrai when we ran into Esimi here – she supposedly knows Volüsa.'

'Great,' Zina stood up, walking over to him. 'I merely wanted to know what happened in the last twenty years, now more time's passed. Please update me this is upsetting enough.'

Serpantha did appear sympathetic, and reluctantly placed his thumb on her forehead, causing her gaze to fixate on empty space – she didn't blink once in the full minute Serpantha spent assumingly showing her memories, or, more accurately, putting them in her head. When he removed his thumb and Zina shivered back into life, she looked over her shoulder to Rachel and Heiki, looking them curiously, somewhat doubtfully, up and down. She turned back to face Serpantha before anyone could see her eyes moisten for so many reasons.

The only words she could manage were, 'You weren't exaggerating then…' She paused to take things in, her eyes darting, until she simply said. 'I'm sorry, I really am. I can't imagine.'

Serpantha gave a small nod, so Zina knew to shake off her emotion – it would just have to wait until later. 'What now then?' she asked affirmatively.

'Zina, Venibilles, Rachel, Heiks – follow Esimi, my brother and Lyrai should meet you there shortly.'

'Heiks?' Calen mocked, enjoying the moment.

'I wouldn't get cocky, because you are going to come with me.' Serpantha countered, and Calen's face fell quickly.

'I don't have to.' she pouted in childish annoyance.

'Stop acting like an eight year old and do as you're told. Who do you think offers you the best chance of survival?' Serpantha spoke to her as if she was his child, and it was surprising for everyone; he wasn't being angry, he was being protective. He then looked to Esimi. 'You should probably leave first.'

Esimi nodded. 'Come on.'

With that, she shifted, and the others followed, Venibilles taking Zina with him, leaving on Serpantha and Calen to face each other. Serpantha turned and began to walk away up the ally, and eventually he got so far Calen was forced to run to catch up with him, knowing she had nowhere else to go. It was awful, but her best chance was with him.

Once she had caught up and was walking at the same pace as him, Serpantha said, 'I figured out why my father changed you to look like that. He made you into the ideal picture of a human of this era – you completely pass as human to anyone, even with magic. Which is another thing, another reason why I sent the others away with Lyrai. Earth has found a way to disable our magic.'

'In the same way as spell-thread?' Calen looked at him in disbelief.

'No, nor is it in the same way as Eric. The best way to describe this is like being stunned – but this is not a spell. It's something unique, but invented by humans.'

'How?'

'Exactly. Obviously, this means we cannot use magic, we _will_ be killed, and I did not come this far to be killed by humans.'

'But you let the others shift.' Calen said in bewilderment.

'Their technology allows them to see where the spell was cast, not where it's going to. It's risky but they needed to, we, however, do not. Just believe me it would save us so much time.'

Calen was silently afraid of what the human race had, or would, become. Deciding to change the subject, she asked, 'Where are we going?'

'To find the publicly known history, I need to know how much the human race knows about us, or magic – or any other species or world. Esimi is clueless to what the average person knows, we are finding out, as it could prove helpful. Given you pass perfectly for human you can help me; if I use magic to change my form we are detected and inevitably killed. In some twist of evolution humans won.'

Calen looked at him as if he was insane. 'Why would it be helpful it has nothing to do with your father!'

'It could prove or disprove theories of mine.' Serpantha said, hiding his annoyance.

'Also, last I was aware Earth had magic, and the human race did know about us.'

'I should probably explain that on the way. Much of what I have said up to this point is a lie, but you need to trust what I say as the truth. I need you to accept it and work with me, if for no other reason then because I'm placing a lot of trust in you by telling you. And if we survive this ordeal we can return to trying to kill each other as what else could there be to life?'

Those last words cut Calen up more than she would ever admit. She didn't enjoy fighting or even killing like she used to; she had no moral issue it just all seemed pointless. She agreed to restoring the sisterhood and being able to partake in battles again because she thought once she was back out in battle her old self would return. All the talk of the Wizards' lives outside war hardly helped her hold on to her old self. She never knew love. How Serpantha loved, cared for and protected his children was never her experience. In fact, how Serpantha's father treated Serpantha was more on the mark. It's not that she wanted that kind of love with anyone, she knew that made her weak – she only had to look at Larpskendya to see that! – but she didn't want the alternative, either. Perhaps the worst part was that not only did Serpantha sense her inner conflict over it all, but also he understood it. Calen hated him for that, and she couldn't work out why, it just frustrated her. He had every reason to be hateful to the point of murderous and take revenge on anyone (or take his anger at the life he was give out on anyone, for that matter), but he never did. Anger he was infamous for didn't seem to exist. The way he would never waste a word when speaking, his notorious ruthlessness when he could kill hundreds without caring. He still had contrast to his brother, who was known to be compassionate towards even the worst of people, but he was not entirely without compassion – the compassion he had was just reserved for the lucky few. Which only brought her back to the beginning. Why was he so determined to help her just because he understood?


	7. Chapter 7: Earth

Rachel was wary at going with this stranger, but she could hardly refuse – she hated how she had become so suspicious of everything and everyone.

They arrived on an island that was completely dead. A few short straw-like plants stuck up from the ground, and the island was so small the sea was visible stretching on for miles all around.

'Where are we?' Rachel asked.

'Flores,' Esimi answered, a little too happily.

Venibilles smirked. 'Very good.'

'Volüsa's idea. Worked out pretty well, but we're two thousand years or so in your future, and I suppose where you landed in Japan is where Flores used to be. I still thought it was rather clever.'

Rachel decided to let it slip, although she was curious to why Zina seemed to understand too – in fact, she wanted to know so much about this woman, what she'd seen and known, everything. Odder than Zina herself, was Heiki's pure lack of caring for what she didn't understand. Or perhaps she pretended not to care, biding her time.

Esimi led them all across the island to a square pit, almost like an archaeologist's, at least twenty feet deep with a ladder going down. Saying nothing, she went down herself and others followed her. She seemed to search on the ground by scraping her foot on it for a long time, homing in on something, and when she found it she stamped her foot rather obnoxiously and yelled, 'Cy! Let us in! You won't believe this.'

Esimi took a step back and a perfect square of ground slowly sunk down, leaving a dark hole. Without looking to anyone else, Esimi leapt into the hole, and after a brief childish fight over who should go first, Zina jumped down out of pure frustration and everyone slowly followed suit.

No one could hide their confusion at landing in what looked like an enlarged wooden box, mysteriously lit up even once the hole had closed. Esimi seemed bored, and leaned against a wall. 'Cy,' she said, again, this time looking slightly over he shoulder to the wall. 'Could you be as so kind to let us in or are you 'busy' on your computer again?'

This time, an entire wall opened up by being risen upwards.

There was a very similar room, except this time furnished and a lone boy sat under the light of a computer screen, the square monitor reflecting in his chocolate eyes. It was clear he had barely any magic. He looked young – almost too young to be involved in such things, the only hair on his entire body were the thick short braids covering is scalp. They entered and once the wall had closed behind them Cy rapidly looked up. He didn't care much for Heiki, Rachel or Zina, more staring at Venibilles blankly.

Venibilles awkwardly noticed this and said cockily with a wink, 'I know I'm attractive but I don't date humans.'

Cy shook his head, not leaving his chair and desk, keeping one eye on his computer. He took a while to configure himself before he spoke. 'I get who you are that's obvious. The albino Eurasian was Heiki, right?' He looked to Esimi for confirmation.

Esimi walked over and clipped him around the ear. She said, 'It's Heiki and Rachel, don't be an ass.' She leant on the back of his chair, looking to the group. 'This is Cy, he's our pet geek.'

'Thanks, thanks,' Cy pressed a few keys on his computer before continuing. 'I happen to be the genius that helps everyone stay safe, but excuse that.'

'How old are you?' asked Rachel, curious to whether he was young or there had been two thousand years of missed evolution.

'Fifteen,' he promptly answered. 'I just have a high intellect. And I should clarify I know who you are because you stick out on this world, thank God Esimi got to you before anyone else. You'd be doomed.'

'What he's trying to say you've missed two millennia of human evolution. People got taller, got the same various dark skin tones, which is the main reason you stand out. They'd think you had some weird skin condition, which is impossible as this pathetic society has an obsession with perfection. Deformities or "deformities" don't exist, I had three plastic surgeries before eighteen, and that's not uncommon.'

Heiki looked insulted. 'I would be classed as deformed?'

'Severely.'

'Earth has its own problems, we long ago established that – where does magic fit into all this?' Venibilles piped up.

'Personally I'm not entirely human, per se,' Esimi swept her hair behind her ears, revealing them to be pointed. 'It's a sign of psychic magic – a special kind in Sprites. My granddad was a Sprite, interspecies became a thing I suppose.'

'What? Psychic magic, is that what it is?' Rachel slit in, 'And what about Cy? Why does he have magic?'

'Shush, I'm getting there,' Esimi smiled to try to comfort them. 'Obviously some humans got magic. No one was here to keep it in check anymore. This place is a refuge for those people, Cy's not the youngest, but I am the oldest.'

Heiki said casually, 'How old are you? Out of interest, it'd be nice to know how long I can expect to live.'

'I'm ninety. Don't look a day over twenty eh?'

Venibilles tried to take control again. 'Why do those with magic need a refuge?'

'Volüsa tells that story better than me, even if I am involved. But she's been stuck here for years like all of us, Serpantha went to find out how much information of these matters is available to the public, because I have no idea. It would be helpful to find out, apparently, it's what he said anyway.'

'Where's my sister?' Venibilles asked pitifully.

'She's here,' Esimi reassured. 'Cy?'

Cy looked up again. 'Last I heard was she passed out and refused to even drink. I doubt she has much time left if she's lost that much will.'

'What!' Venibilles walked over to them, looking at a ladder that led down even further. 'Last I saw of her was she woke me up – she was a young child substituting me for her father, I'm still tired because of it. Where is she now? Why did she fall unconscious?'

Esimi was unsure how to comfort him. There was a silence in which Venibilles looked pleadingly to her, until she said. 'She's down there. Not immediately, this is a complex network. She's on the lowest floor, her magic is the most powerful and this entire place was built to stop magic being detected, it's safest. I won't stop you if you want to go, she's your sister not mine, but I only warned Serpantha about her.'

Venibilles rubbed his forehead, feeling slightly sick. 'I'll wait for my father.'

Serpantha stopped them walking after what felt like walking up and down the same street for eternity, with no one to talk to without it being an argument you will inevitably lose.

Serpantha didn't waste time. 'You need to sneak in the back of that building, and find out how much information on magic and other species is easily available. You cannot use any magic; if you do we're both dead.'

Calen nodded, too bewildered by recent events to speak.

'Esimi gave me this,' Serpantha revealed a small lens on his finger, like a contact. 'it will record what you see. You needn't read the information, just look at it and we can study it later.'

Calen was unimpressed. 'Technology?'

'Crude I agree, however we have no other choice as we can't use magic, and it is the least I can pay Esimi back for keeping my daughter safe.'

'Fine.'

Calen took the contact and was reluctant to put it in her eye.

'Are you really getting squeamish over that?' Serpantha tried to hide his frustration with her, apparently he didn't do it well, as Calen became defensive.

'This could be anything, sorry for being careful, only you know—'

In one swift move Serpantha took the contact from her and slotted into her eye. She barely felt anything. Even if rumours about his anger could be false, rumours about his delicacy and quickness weren't. It was both frightening and amazing at the same time, so much so Calen admired him, and she wished she didn't.

'Also, put this in your ear so we can talk. If anything happens to me you need to know before they get to you.' Serpantha continued.

Calen took the small curious device, placed it in her ear, and snuck in the small door at the back of the building. She didn't have to wait long before Serpantha's voice echoed in her ear.

'Go to a computer and search for things like magic.'

'Tell me you're joking,' she replied.

'Not in the least.'

Calen did as she was told, humiliated to be sent down to a level of using technology for knowledge and communication. Human technology. She knew she was in some sort of library, and it was packed with people. She chose the most secluded computer there and began searching. The keyboard was unfamiliar to her, and she could barely remember the language, but Serpantha had told her not to use spells – she had no choice but to listen to him. It was the slowest time had ever passed for her.

Back on Flores, everyone had simply sat down again, dejectedly. Esimi and Cy has left them alone, doing there own business but also giving them privacy to take it all in. Zina was the most closed off. She looked as if she wasn't there, and she certainly looked like she didn't want to be. Which was heartbreaking for anyone to watch.

Rachel decided to try. She moved a little closer to Zina, and then said gently, 'What was she like?'

Zina turned quickly to Rachel, and was very blank of speech. 'Who?'

'Your daughter.'

Zina smiled and became teary eyed at the same time. But the smile wasn't fake, not at all. 'She was…well, stuck-up and precious about things, she was definitely spoilt; she didn't believe she was better than anyone else, but she was full of herself. You couldn't win a debate with her, not for love nor money. When she knew she was right the whole room did too.' She paused and laughed sadly. 'I suppose that's also where she fell down. Her moral compass was firmly set, a very independent girl who was perhaps too intelligent for her own good, I suppose.'

Rachel had no idea what to say. No one did.

Feeling obligated to, Zina filled the silence by changing the subject. 'So you and Heiki then?'

Heiki lowered her head and scratched the back of her ear embarrassedly. 'I suppose I should have stuck with my original ambition of being a dancer. But no, I had to dream big.'

Zina smirked, taking a liking to Heiki, whoever she was. 'Well you more than repaid your debt. That stuff ain't uncommon, but I don't like this Calen woman. I mean Jesus have you seen the way she looks at Serpantha?'

Heiki tried to brush it off. 'The only opinion I have on Calen is beyond obscene, I can't judge.'

'What do you mean the way she looks at him?' asked Rachel, amazed by Zina's observation of seemingly everything.

'You ain't seen? Just look next time. She tries not to look but she does and it's there in her eyes. Serpantha knows it to – not that that's surprising. Weird though.'

Rachel was baffled. She looked to Heiki, who didn't look like she knew either, so she then turned to Venibilles who appeared indifferent. She whispered to him, 'What does she mean?'

He shrugged, obviously more concerned about other things.

Zina caught Venibilles attention with a snap of her fingers. 'So Owlola and Serpantha finally got together then?'

Venibilles smiled. 'Obviously, why do you ask?'

'Been willing for them to for years, God they frustrated me – all the excuses o' how life got in the way, the only real thing that got in the way was his other kid, but that was years ago.'

'Mother didn't speak to him for a year.' Venibilles continued. 'Rightly so, if you ask me. Father always describes it as the worst year of his life, which is also correctly so. If you ask me, that is.'

'It's odd, you know, Serpantha's father would never approve.'

Before Zina could continue, Rachel cut in. 'Why?'

Venibilles explained this time. 'She's the youngest of a family of ten girls, if you want it bluntly. Which is rather amusing given I was their first-born. She certainly isn't a match for power, and when she was young her father died in battle. Her mother was crushed and… lost the will to live.'

'You mean?' Rachel asked grimly.

Venibilles nodded.

'That's awful,' said Rachel.

'Awful? Tragic? It truly is,' Venibilles was surprisingly unaffected by the subject. 'It was common, though, an unspoken practice that almost became tradition. It is the story of many on my planet, especially during that generation.'

'Anyway,' Zina stopped them. 'Serpantha's father would never approve. No wonder he's worried about you, I imagine it's why he brought you.'

'What?' Venibilles was suddenly uncomfortable.

It was then that Rachel realised Zina's talking wasn't casual conversation. She was impressed to say the least, and began to see how she could win the heart of Larpskendya.

Zina smiled and elaborated. 'Well, I ain't no genius, nor Wizard or Witch, but Volüsa's fate wasn't good – do you expect that awful man not to have played a hand in it? And Owlola was pregnant when ya left, and it's obvious how much Serpantha's avoiding questions bout that. He don't wanna know. Serpantha predicted this ya'll know 'e did, he took all o' you to stop ya having some awful fate. I'm not certain, but knowing his distaste for interspecies an' all that, well, I'm questioning my girl's death.'

Everyone was in shock at the way Zina had pieced it all together perfectly.

'An' from what I've seen,' Zina continued, thinking aloud. 'He saw you two coming, and formed a plan. That snap decision wasn't a snap decision, even Owlola was involved. Wouldn't surprised me, she's a crafty one sometimes.'

Venibilles thought for a while, and then said, 'That explains why I was told to keep out of all of it so much. I couldn't know; it would be dangerous.'

'Now that's impressive,' marvelled Heiki. 'But it doesn't explain everything. We're still awaiting that.'

Venibilles stood up in front of them all. 'I can take a hint, thank you. However, my father did explain it all, just subtly. I suppose many would fail to pick it up, but no one can blame you for trying.'

'Quit whining and get on with it.' Zina said, taking authority of him. She was his aunt, after all, so she would have to be his substitute parent for the time being.

'Psychic magic is something sprites have; it's special and somewhat unique to them. Although Earth did reach similar and close things…'

'I know,' Rachel scolded him.

Venibilles cleared his throat and continued. 'Lyrai is a Sprite, and Sprites can cast a special kind of spell that alters people's perceptions. It doesn't change your beliefs or erase any memories, but say I put a perception filter on—' he grabbed a spoon awkwardly as it was the only small object lying around '—this. You could still see it. The spell affects your consciousness, you see it but the signal between your brain and sight is interrupted, meaning you don't register it as important. Sorry, I'm no good at explanations.'

'No, no, it's fine – go on.' Heiki reassured him.

He put the spoon down, as if it was importantly placed there and he had disturbed it, and then he continued. 'You were not forgotten, neither of you – how could you be? I grew up on stories about you, stories of humans, Highs and Griddas. Admittedly, it was party because I had to be, I am in a unique position because I grew up with Griddas who had been changed into Witches as you know – well, as I know them, the first Witches you knew weren't like that – so all those infants are about my age now – then, I mean.'

'Oh I weep for you,' Zina teased. 'You must have such a difficult life.'

Venibilles gave a shy laugh. 'I know, I know. Anyway, there was an arrangement made, and it is shameful in hindsight. Sprites took down their defences; they sacrificed their entire world, and everyone on it. Their species has been heavily involved in our war, their kind, and magic being almost as old as ours are. Lyrai is their leader, an old friend of my father's, but the damage to their planet was…phenomenal. You cannot imagine it. Being an amphibious species, they were able to retreat miles underwater and defend themselves better, but the planet was still in ruins and they lost billions.'

'Why would they do that?' Rachel asked, emotionally affected by all she was hearing for reasons she didn't know.

'To protect Earth, to buy us time… A big reason the deal was made was to give my father time to train Heiki. Earth's magic was new, it was also grossly inadequate in many places, someone had to be trained enough to be able to train the rest of the children on Earth. Not that Earth's magic combined would be a slightest threat, but it's all time buying. It's all it ever was.'

'And I think I did a good job of it, thank you,' Heiki folded her arms. 'I was actually an achieved human being, and I lost everything. I went back to being no one. I would take bad recognition if it meant recognition.'

Venibilles sighed. 'You did Heiki, you really did. Honestly I've heard on more than one occasion how proud he was of you, but things don't always work the way you want them to.'

'So who decided we weren't important?' Heiki pressed.

'Due to the sacrifice made for Earth Lyrai had her opinions, to say the least and she had the full right to have a say in Earth's fate. My father did the best he could.'

'Show me then.'

Venibilles uneasily tried to avert himself from Heiki's powerful gaze and presence. He vaguely murmured, 'It isn't my place…'

Heiki stood up, with one hand behind her back she gestured for Rachel to stand with her, and she did.

'I lost all I ever had,' Heiki said, 'I nearly died. Humanity nearly died. My best friends nearly died. But it was the best time of my life and it couldn't even last a year. I am owed this; nothing you say will make me think otherwise. _Now show us_.'

'Heiks you can be terrifying sometimes, you know that?' Rachel said quietly, not wanting to look at Heiki as she did.

Ignoring Rachel, Venibilles said, 'I will, just promise not to tell my father…'

He pushed a thumb to each of their head's, and with that, they witnessed the decision to abandon Earth.


	8. Chapter 8: Lyrai

They found themselves on a marshland, some kind of swamp with plants, but this was clearly the landmass of the planet – as there was a viable ocean a few metres away, which a woman stood looking out across, watching Serpantha fly down to her.

She was slender, her waist looking as if it had been stretched and her legs became thinner and thinner until a small foot touched the floor. Her arms were of the same fashion, stemming to become hands with severely shortened slight fingers. Her skin appeared transparent, although it was impossible to see anything behind it. The white outfit she wore was in fact more opaque than her skin, but it looked a lot like a one-piece swimming costume with shorts, and it was all clearly one piece of material – except for what looked like a thick black belt, with two long swords through it. And it didn't look like hair exactly, but she had what looked like silver dreadlocks, but they looked more like bone than hair. Perhaps the oddest feature she had were her eyes, it was impossible to tell where she was looking as they were two opaque silver marbles in her face, and she had a bump in-between her eyes that might have been a nose, but there was no way of telling.

When Serpantha landed, she grinned, displaying a set of round, rough silver teeth. She stood at equal height to Serpantha, and merely looked at him for a long time, before embracing him, unable to take the grin off her face.

When she released him Serpantha said playfully, 'Take it easy, I haven't seen you show that much affection in years.'

She tried to look annoyed, but couldn't. She spoke in a breathy, almost rasping voice through her thin black lips. 'It's been years since you scared everyone like you did, Serpantha, I'm sure to return to my normal self don't worry. For example I would like to state you only have yourself to blame.'

'Good to see all this destruction hasn't changed you Lyrai.'

Lyrai nodded gently, and then said, 'Shall we?'

It make them feel uneasy as the scenery changed around them, as if in some four dimensional movie, but they watched Lyrai dive into the see springing up from the swampland. The bone like growths on her head lifted themselves into a point to weigh her down into the waters with minimal effort. It was fascinating to watch the way she moved, of course it was – this was a new species! Both girls were so preoccupied watching Lyrai descend that they barely noticed Serpantha, who had changed into a close approximation of a merman, with a fish tail and gills on his neck. Rachel couldn't help but notice the scars on his body – his arms, chest, stomach, back, everywhere, all different shapes lengths and sizes, left from spells and claws. It surprised her even though she knew it shouldn't.

After diving just a few miles below the surface, nowhere near where anyone lived, Lyrai stopped and her bone-hair fell down, and her and Serpantha swam slowly and relaxed through the waters, with Lyrai swimming frog-style (which was rather suiting, given her fingers were more like frogs than humans).

'Are you going to tell me what you wanted me here for?' Serpantha asked.

'We have serious matters to discuss—'

Serpantha looked at the swords she carried on her waist as one nearly cut him. 'I can see that.'

Lyrai looked ashamed, but still defended her right to have them. 'They kept me alive more than my spells; you hardly have a right to shame me for using such weapons, the arrangement was for me to sacrifice my planet to buy yours time. I'm not a noble person, I won't die with dignity, I die kicking and screaming to the last breath.'

'In suit with Sprite fighting style I suppose.'

Lyrai smiled. 'If you chop of anything's head it will die.'

Serpantha became very serious, 'That doesn't change the fact you no longer need them, so you can stop carrying them.'

Lyrai ignored him. 'What's the state of Earth?'

'Vastly improved, their nature has certainly changed through all this destruction, Heiki played a large part in stopping children using magic to be cruel, and especially upon coming to Orin Fen.'

'Naturally,' Lyrai replied immediately, 'crisis brings people together, and the nature of your species is bound to influence them, as well as this planet. How long can you expect that to last?'

'Why do you have irrational hate of humans?' Serpantha looked astounded.

'I don't,' Lyrai explained, 'Humans as a species are fast changing, so you have a strong positivity about Earth's future. As I said, they are fast changing, which also makes them quick to turn, and they are quick to turn on _you_.'

Serpantha stayed calm, trying to logically reason with her. 'When they do it's short lived, and either from pre-programmed fears or manipulation. I can use Heiki for a plain example, compared to what she began as and what she is now in such a short space of time, I am unimaginably proud of her.'

'Of course you are, you're proud of your own work training her.' Lyrai said bluntly, 'you made her capable of killing and teaching others to kill. Perhaps you shouldn't be so proud.'

'You talk as if either of our hands are clean,' Serpantha grew frustrated, 'she was never going to change, not fully, people don't, by Heiki's very nature she is angry, angry at the world and everyone in it. I never aimed to change that because I cannot hope to, all I could do, all I have _ever_ done is try to channel that energy into something positive. She wanted a purpose and I gave her one, and I found a friend along the way. I know her better than anyone else and I have learnt that even the worst of humanity isn't actually bad.'

Lyrai thought for a moment. 'I have heard much about Heiki, if anything all her story conveys is the manipulation of humanity.'

'I think you forget we wouldn't be having this meeting without a human,' Serpantha reminded. 'Please tell me you are merely being your hateful self, if not what are you trying to suggest?'

Lyrai said casually, 'Earth has been interfered with too much. People have died, and you have made children into murders, something you have tried to prevent for years. I'm merely saying Earth with magic doesn't work, nor does your involvement with the people on it.'

Serpantha grew annoyed. 'You have no involvement with Earth; your approval is not needed. What are you proposing?'

'Magic to be removed from Earth. Consequently, memories will also need to be adjusted so no one knows what has happened, it should be a simple enough job to replace reality with mundane day to day lives humans have.'

'I mean this in the least offensive way possible,' said Serpantha, 'but what you're suggesting is ridiculous, and a massive job. And with all due respect, you haven't had involvement with Earth for centuries, so you can't act like you know about humans.'

Lyrai stood strong. 'I sacrificed my planet, my people. I have the right to decide what happens to Earth, given if you had just let one little girl die none of this destruction would have happened.'

'You have full right to a part in the decision; you don't have the right to be a complete eejit. What you propose is absurd.'

'Don't insult me on my own planet,' Lyrai said through gritted teeth.

'I was only returning the favour.'

Lyrai looked childishly annoyed, and swam rapidly down, forcing Serpantha to follow. They must have swum for miles, too fast for the eye to track, until Lyrai boldly landed on the muddy floor of the ocean, standing to her full height – using her frog-like feet to grip.

'Look around you,' she announced. 'All to protect Earth, Serpantha, that precious blue dot in space that nearly died along with everyone else in this universe. While it's true it took them months to reach our depths they still did, and now there's nothing left but rubble of our oldest city. There was destruction on Orin Fen, but nothing on this scale.'

Serpantha hovered just above the ocean floor, looking around. Without looking at her he said, 'I understand. However, there has already been an eight-month absence from Earth; everyone has understood of as we explained how long things might take. To not go back now…'

'It would be disgusting I agree. However, Earth with magic does not work, nor does your involvement with the people on it. I suggest the removal of magic from Earth.'

'Lyrai do you have any idea the uproar that would cause?'

'No, I failed to think this through for eight months.'

Serpantha pressed calmly, 'Go on.'

'Consequently, memories will also need to be adjusted so no one knows what has happened, it should be a simple enough job to replace reality with mundane day to day lives humans have.'

'That would be a massive and unrealistic job, things on Earth are changing, everything is – like any planet Earth will eventually settle and it will just be another planet with magic. Just look at children like Yemi or Eric you have no idea what could become of that!'

'I don't want to know,' Lyrai reaffirmed.

Serpantha tried to reason with her. 'I understand you are scared but this isn't the answer, humans aren't aware of your existence and your involvement stops here. Besides we have personal involvement I'm not abandoning people who mean so much to me, and people I'm in debt to.'

'If they can't remember they would never know.'

Serpantha struggled with himself for a moment, and then said to Lyrai. 'You have a deal, but my terms are to be accepted, or there is no agreement, understood?'

Lyrai became childishly interested. 'Oh? What terms?'

'Not only must the job be done by you, but you leave the memories of Eric, Rachel, and Heiki. You must also let the two girls keep their magic. Consider it their reward.'

Lyrai looked suspiciously at him for a while before agreeing.

The memory shifted, the scenery blurred until it refocused back on Orin Fen, and they found themselves in the same house they had arrived at, in the living room.

Larpskendya had just fled into the room noticing his brother flying back down to the planet, while Owlola breastfed a baby wrapped in white cloth.

Serpantha appeared in the room with them, and as soon as he saw Owlola his entire face lit up and he forgot his original purpose.

Owlola smiled. 'You were gone and this happened, because we couldn't force you to wait another day. Congratulations on missing the birth of your son.'

Serpantha rushed over to her, leaning over the back of the sofa to look at his child. He looked is pure wonderment at the newborn for the longest time, saying nothing, more than contented. He finally said, 'I should apologise – I promised you Volüsa.'

'I was disappointed too; I wanted our little girl we always talked about in those wasted years.' Owlola began laughing.

'What's so funny?'

'We're upset because we had a son.'

Serpantha grinned, and kissed her on the cheek. 'We can afford to be. If we can't have Volüsa we can have Venibilles.'

'Works for me.'

Serpantha quipped, 'And we can plan to have the next one.'

Larpskendya could hold back no longer. 'What did Lyrai want?'

Serpantha looked up and his entire face froze, not wanting to tell him. 'Nothing awful, but you will hate it.'

'What was it?'

'She believes our interference with Earth is too great and should cease, not only that but magic should be removed along with memories.'

Larpskendya took a while to take it in before responding. 'I'm unsure where to be begin with that. You ignored her of course.'

Serpantha appeared awkward. 'You know we can't, she sacrificed her world, all in an attempt to protect Earth. As much as I agree that Earth now has a voice, and it should not be our decision what happens to it anymore, but it is the way of things that we will, and Lyrai gets a say. Her say is the most powerful at present.'

'Rachel, Yemi, Heiki – all of them mean nothing to you?'

'Oh don't make accusations at me because you're upset it doesn't suit you. If she somehow manages such a large job without anyone stopping her, I asked her to leave the memories of Rachel, Eric, and Heiki, leaving the girls magic. I told her to think of it as their reward. As for Yemi, he gets to live a normal life – as it should be.'

'I'm sure they would be grateful,' replied Larpskendya bitterly.

'That means even if she succeeds,' Serpantha continued, ignoring his brother's undeniably true statement. 'They can get back here. Lyrai agreed to put up a perception filter, which Eric could break through if he travelled here with them which I imagine he would.'

Larpskendya went into emotional turmoil, hating it all.

Serpantha moved to stand next to his brother, and took his hand, looking him in the eye. 'I know it's awful and I can barely speculate how you feel, but it has been eight months, I promise soon they will come and things will be alright again soon enough.'

Larpskendya shook his head. 'She would hate me.'

Serpantha almost laughed. 'Even if this was in our control you know she wouldn't. I know how much you care, perhaps too much, but you revealed the link between Wizards and Witches and she still, when it all boiled down, stuck by you. You act as if you have no idea what that means, primarily she would have got the urge to kill you and she was more than capable. Believe me, in comparison this will be nothing. I promise you everything will be fine.'

Serpantha left the conversation at that, deciding to take his son from Owlola and look at him for the first time. 'Lyrai made me miss this… If she ever has a child remind me to invite her for an unimportant meeting.'

Owlola, who had warily watched the scene between the two Wizards up until then, smirked. 'I can forgive you and Lyrai if you promise never to miss another.'

'I wouldn't dream of it,' Serpantha said without thinking. He looked up and noticed his brother's distraught face. 'Stop worrying; we can enjoy our lives now. One of the first things I taught you was you leave what happens in battle on the battlefield. The same goes for now, you do not drag Earth home with you. If I took it all home with me I could never enjoy my life, and there were times when that has been the case – I would not wish that on anyone, especially you. Forget Earth for now, because in case you failed to notice, I just had a child.'

Larpskendya sighed. 'I know.'

'Actually,' Owlola corrected, 'I made him and pushed him out of my body I think you overestimate your part in this.'

Serpantha and Owlola then became so engrossed in their son and their playful bickering that neither of them noticed how dead Larpskendya looked as he left the room.

After a while, Owlola fell sadly silent, noticing his absence. 'He could have taken that better. What do you really think about it all?'

'I'm devastated. It's wrong and frankly unfair, I hate that we have to let her get away with such an act.'

Owlola tried to comfort him. 'At least you don't lose everything.'

'I'm more worried about his feelings than mine,' Serpantha said glumly, 'if he brings it home with him it will be the death of him. I may be wrong but I don't think he trusts me when I promised him it would be alright, which is new.'

Owlola looked at him almost patronisingly. 'He has a good reason not to trust you at the present. Not that it is distrust at all; it is more a new sense of caution towards everything, which he cannot be blamed for.'

Serpantha became dismissive. 'We can worry for him if it doesn't pass. Let's not taint the birth of our son. There is no reason to be concerned about Earth because it will be alright, and so will they.'

'If there's no reason to worry then I wonder why you do.'

Serpantha couldn't answer, he only tried to focus on his child – not wanting to consider Earth, or anyone on it.


	9. Chapter 9: Plans

Heiki was first to speak after seeing the memories, shaking her head. 'No. That isn't right.'

'Would you prefer me to fabricate a story you find acceptable?' Venibilles asked meaningfully.

Heiki shot him a threatening glare.

Rachel said, 'I expected more from them. They could have come back, for us.'

Venibilles desperately tried to make them understand. 'I can't speak for them; I'm a child at the end of the day, as are you, but breaking a deal with Lyrai would break the bond between two species that have known each other since before your species even existed. They wanted to even I understood that from a young age—Oh, what's the point, one of them can explain it to you this isn't my duty.'

Zina addressed him calmly. 'Venibilles just relax, they're angry and that's OK, course it is. And they aren't your responsibility, either, if they chose to behave like this then let them, just don't engage. Talking to walls never works.'

'It's not just them!' Venibilles nearly shook in frustration. 'My entire world has been turned upside down my little sister is now an adult with a fate worse than death and no one dares to ask what happened to the one my mother was expecting. I want my father I want my mother and I want to go home!'

It was then that Rachel remembered Venibilles, no matter how mature he seemed or looked, was still a child at heart. Perhaps so was she.

Zina looked at him, feeling his heartbreak. 'You're Serpantha's son, aren't you?'

'Was that not obvious?'

'Well,' Zina begun. 'he went through a lot protecting ya. He ain't gonna let anything bad happen to you, as if that needs to be said. I'm not promising it'll be OK cos even from my understanding it looks bleak but... I dunno, like Heiki and Rachel should've, wait for your father to get back. Someone who knows what they're doin'.'

Venibilles shrugged it off, but appreciated her help. In his opinion, the woman to capture his uncle's heart should know what she was doing. Or maybe Rachel should. Or Heiki, anyone but him – people with experience or knowledge. After all, what did he have? A large ego and inflated muscles. So helpful. He could have laughed at his own inadequacy, and knew in a life or death situation he would be the first to be killed…

Heiki had withdrawn in on herself and muttered at a volume where she could claim to be talking to herself, but she made sure the others heard. 'Did he have any idea what it did to me? Even if he thought I would be fine does he have any idea how I actually was?'

Venibilles tried to answer but couldn't.

'I need people to know who I am Venibilles it's how I thrive and it's wrong but I can admit to being a bad person,' Heiki said, her voice dripping with hurt. 'I would have taken bad recognition but now no one knew who I was, I was just a no one again. I had no one, I was no one, and I knew no one.'

'You had me,' Rachel attempted.

'You're one person. An amazing one but you're one person. I had everything, as did Eric so I've never blamed him for being so bitter and uninterested. I may as well say it given we're all gonna die soon.'

'No we ain't,' Zina interrupted. 'I done that once, never again for a long time thank you. We have nothin' to be scared o'.'

Everyone looked at her curiously, wondering if she had forgotten what was going on.

'We have a lot to be scared of and think about actually,' Venibilles said moping.

'Nought really,' Zina said optimistically. 'What we got? In insane Wizard with a bit of a God Complex, and some nightmarish creatures that dare call themselves Witches. I'm sure we'll be fine lookin' at what we got compared to what we face.'

'I don't want to upset you but how on Earth can you be so happy and optimistic after all that's happened? I mean you found out so many people have been killed since you died, including your own daughter.' Rachel said warily.

'We also have a giant compression of magic which can revive the dead, keep up,' Zina replied, and then turned straight to Venibilles who wasn't coping either. 'Kid, relax, it'll be alright.'

Venibilles breathed heavily for a while. 'I never expected this. I almost wish to have faced the same threat as my sister if it meant having a home for a while longer.'

'You grew up in very unique conditions,' Zina said, trying to reassure him. 'Which is hardly surprising, there seems to be nothing nor no one in your family that is normal or mundane, eh?' Venibilles smiled, so Zina continued. 'but those conditions also made ya unprepared for this. Which ain't bad or yer fault. The things that make us unique can just be our downfall sometimes.'

'Maybe we aren't meant to be different then. Maybe sticking to the way things should be…would be better,' Venibilles said in a small voice.

'Better for who?' Zina challenged.

'Survival.'

Zina shook her head. 'Survival don't matter if it ain't livin'! I had the best years of my life with Larpskendya and Athena, it got me killed in the end but it was worth it. I didn't belong on Earth.'

'Who's Athena?' Heiki asked, as if she had been awakened.

'My daughter, obviously. I always wanted a girl called Athena, don't know why, always have since I were little.'

'And she was different, but she hardly lived!' Venibilles burst, 'maybe we ought to stick to normality and what should be.'

'Oh I beg to differ,' Zina said, to everyone's surprise she was unaffected by his comment. 'She'd done more in her life than you've ever done in yours. You may've grown up humanised but Athena'd actually been to Earth ya know.'

'When?' asked Rachel.

'Well I was with a man when I met Larpskendya, and when we had established that we were dating I had to call it off with him cos I was with him over a year,' Zina began, although it sounded irrelevant, no one interrupted as they were glad for the anecdote. It became obvious she was giving this story to stray their thoughts. 'And my best friend Melissa got curious about the man I dumped him for. They met and me and Larpskendya decided to trust her with the truth, she was the only one of my friends who knew the truth – the rest of 'em thought I'd moved to a different country. The only problem was frequent visits to Earth would be dangerous, so when I decided to live on Orin Fen with Larpskendya there was no going back. I mean he'd already endangered Earth by visiting me so much.'

'So you went back when Athena was born?' Venibilles asked.

'You don't know this story already?'

'No,' Venibilles shrugged. 'Never heard much about you or Athena. Sorry.'

'Well, anyway,' Zina brushed it off. 'cos Athena was half 'uman her aging process was very different. She seemed to age humanely and when she was three years old, mentally and physically, we decided to spend a week with Melissa so she could meet my child and so we could see each other again. Properly I mean, I usually visited her twice a year I could get a Witch to take me but we planned to stay for a week with Athena. By Gods, it was hell.'

Venibilles chucked. 'Why?'

'Never ever ever take a three year old to Earth. Ever. She couldn't understand why she had to change her appearance, so she kept fighting the spells Larpskendya used to change it for 'er. She didn't get why she couldn't fly. She wouldn't eat the food and she had an aversion to the clothes. After three days she was finally settled in, and we had a good time but she was so difficult. More frustratingly once we got back to Orin Fen she wouldn't come out of human guise for three weeks, it was unbelievable. It was good for her though cos she got to practice her spells, but still.'

'Alright,' Venibilles desperately tried to stop her from straying on the topic. 'but that's hardly an experience she could remember well, or truly have. She wasn't old enough.'

'No, but she had a life. The length of it doesn't make her life less valid, and she did things and she enjoyed herself. You want to erase that – if we hadn't've had her and stuck to how it should be some of my best memories wouldn't exist. I mean geez Venibilles growing up how you did and 'specially with your father… didn't that teach you to enjoy the here and now?'

'I suppose.'

'Life sucks Venibilles I won't lie to you about that. You take what you can get when you can get it cos on a world of suffering those truly happy moments eer rare.'

Venibilles said bitterly, 'I was told I would have an easy life, unaffected by horrific things like war. I would prefer to be born into war than be mislead like this, my entire world turned upside down.'

'I know,' Zina said soothingly. 'war, fighting, death – _the way things should be_. It's easier to only know that than adapt to it. This is life now and even if we survive this it will be life. Could you survive without something to hold on to?'

Venibilles looked away from her. 'No, but I'm not sure I want to live in a world like that, plagued by war.'

'No one does. It's hard to find happiness in that world. So you take it where you can, even if it means defying convention. And I think you forget the only reason you would've got a life o' peace is cos of going against everything that was normal or acceptable – or, well, the done thing. Going _against_ the way things should be. Cos at the end of the day you know the way things should be is peaceful.'

Venibilles couldn't look at her, at anyone, but he engaged with her. 'Which is why every time someone criticizes the human race my father says at least they didn't start a war amongst themselves and spread it to what must be every species in the universe.'

Zina smiled. 'You said it not me.'

After that, as the time passed waiting for Serpantha, Calen or Larpskendya to return, they drifted in and out of conversation. Once Venibilles had lightened up, Heiki and Venibilles spent considerable time comparing muscles, trying to best each other's tone or capability. It was, to say the least, a rather pathetic argument, and what they were saying and bragging about was laughable. But weirdly it provided some normality to the situation. As if they were waiting for a bus, making small talk to fill the time. While it reminded Venibilles of perhaps his only achievement, at least he was impressing a girl – Heiki, at that.

Even with petty entertainments such as this, the time dragged and dragged. And it was just the four of them, going no further into this base. A Wizard and three humans stuck in a plain wooden room together for such a long time. It was enough to irritate the best of people. It also gave them time to think, too much time; Rachel couldn't push Larpskendya out of her head. They weren't even coherent thoughts, just blurred words and feelings, a constant switch between hating him and loving him. But they wouldn't shut up. And she daren't voice her concerns or feelings in front of Zina, because she hated to admit it but Zina scared her slightly. Not so much who she was, but how much she knew, and how much she could potentially know. That and the fact this was the woman Larpskendya was in love with, she didn't want to create conflict between them, and she actually wanted to get to know her. Sadly, Zina clearly preferred to keep to herself and preferred it when others did the same. She would give anecdotes but she would never give away anything personal, it was stories she would happily tell anyone. Heiki and Venibilles preferred to ignore the obvious danger, and it seemed she was the only one who wanted to talk about things or seek comfort. Which made her want Larpskendya there even more.

Calen had no idea how much time had passed, but she managed to ignore her embarrassment and say to no one, 'I think I have it all.'

'I can only take your word for it.' Serpantha replied evenly.

'I'm not entirely sure,' Calen said shakily, 'I tried, but I'm unfamiliar with the language so I had to guess mostly.'

Serpantha's tone lightened, 'Calen, relax, no one's going to persecute you if you got anything wrong or missed anything out, now get out of there. Your appearance would normally attract attention but luckily Earth is still an ignorant place, and as you're speaking another language to what they know so they should act like you don't exist.'

'Do I detect a hint of distain in your voice?' Calen grinned as she walked back through the library, darting with her head down through crowds of people.

'You do.' Serpantha paused before adding, 'I think a common misconception is that I'm the same as my brother. I respect certain humans; I do not respect the human race. Not that it's their fault they are the way they are.'

Calen exited the door and continued there conversation, looking him in the eye, 'You criticize the human race or even mine for being shallow but we both know what your son is like.'

'Oh he's as shallow as a puddle on the sun,' Serpantha said absently, 'all our children are like him, from his age until a few years before adulthood our kind are selfish and shallow. However, they still have strong morals; have no doubt about that. He gets his personality from his mother I swear.'

'Right. His mother.'

'Still not over that?'

'Not really,' Calen answered enigmatically, 'When you think about it, it changes everything.'

Serpantha began to lead them in a new direction, but he kept the conversation. 'We never knew whether you knew or not, actually, but you can see why it would be erased from your history.'

Calen's voice couldn't hide the undertone of hope. 'And you know all of this history then?'

'To an extent, I've never claimed innocence Calen I know what it was like for me in my younger years, and views everyone had in my time. Just look at my father, the way he condemns femininity as a weak or bad thing, he always criticized me for looking like my mother or being too feminine.'

'You're hardly the most masculine Wizard I've ever seen,' Calen added.

'But he condemns me for it as if I could change it. Frankly if people were like him or worse at the start of the war I don't blame anyone at all, in fact, I would have turned myself female and gone with you.'

Calen suppressed a laugh and said, 'Is that why all this started then?'

'I imagine it was a part, but it was mostly disputes over magic and if we have death spells then surely we were meant to use them. Obviously during the time those who left seemed to disappear from existence, it somewhat escalated.'

'You could say that.' Calen paused. 'Where along the line did we all become sadistic then?'

'I have no idea; I don't think I ever will know, either.'

Calen became more aware of where he was leading them, and asked, 'Where do we go and how to we get there?'

'A very long walk.' Serpantha replied emptily.

'I suppose you're serious, aren't you?' When Serpantha didn't bother to argue, she continued, 'Why can't we shift? You flew when we arrived.'

'Which would have caused people to go looking for us. I can only assume what Esimi said was true, and if we use magic, we will be hunted down and killed.'

'And you don't care to elaborate on that to me, how sweet, but humans can't fly. They can't catch us if we're airborne, and if we shift away where's the issue?'

Serpantha stopped walking and looked directly at her. 'The issue is humans can detect where you shift from, but they also detect a small amount of magic where you travel to, and all at once four people shifted to the same place, a base where my daughter is located. If we go there it will push past a preset limit and be detected.'

'I suppose Esimi told you that.' Calen replied firmly. 'How can you go unnoticed, walking through crowds of people, if you can't change your appearance? It isn't feasible.' Serpantha began to walk away from her, so she yelled after him, 'Listen to me!'

'Shouting won't help us stay in stealth.' He called back to her.

It was only fear of whatever humanity had become that made Calen rush to catch up yet again. 'If I agree to follow you blindly to wherever you're leading us would you explain to me how we're meant to kill your father?'

'He drank excessively, perhaps we could lure him out of hiding with a bottle of Whiskey,' Serpantha laughed at his own joke, which caused Calen to look down on him as if he were a child.

'You aren't at all what I expected, and I don't mean that in the good way,' she said cuttingly. She added, 'How do we kill him though? Personally, I vote disembowelment but sadly I fear that isn't possible.'

Serpantha smirked – she had a sense of humour, which was relieving of some of the tension. Which is why he decided to let down his guard. 'He's been preparing for this since he left, stealing magic, and building up the spells, which is an insane amount of work to say the least. Meaning he's composed of nearly all pure energy, pure magic, even touching him would kill you.'

'Why?' Calen asked immediately.

'That magic is stolen, Calen, no one else's magic willingly co-operates with another person when it's been stolen.'

'Magical rage?'

'Almost, it's not quite the same thing but the effect's the same. It's highly complex even I'm somewhat out of my depth.' Before Calen could comment on his pride, he stopped them by a water drain.

Calen didn't have to ask before she understood. 'Elaborate.'

'Through there is a direct route to where we're going, we go through, drop down and should find something to take us there undetected.'

'That's almost impressive for humans.'

'Almost?' Serpantha scoffed, 'I think it's genius. How many humans would crawl through an old water pipe?'

'For a genius yourself you are so easily impressed.'

Serpantha acknowledged her half-compliment briefly before gesturing for her to go first into the pipe. She did so without caution, although it was not because of her lack of squeamishness and strong stomach.

She didn't check to see if Serpantha was following, but she did observe everything, waiting for a sudden change in the structure – but there wasn't one for a long time. When the tunnel begun to widen, becoming a sphere in which she could sit, slightly out of breath, leaning against the wall, she looked back to hear or see nothing; she began to doubt if he followed her at all. Extraordinarily, she found herself more concerned than infuriated. By the time Serpantha arrived, sitting opposite her, enough time had passed for Calen to half expect to be stuck there for the rest of her life.

'What took you so long?' Calen snapped, hiding her exhaustion, wondering why she was tired at all.

Serpantha didn't answer, but he did gesture to a rusty metal grid blocking the way forward. Given Calen was closer she decided to grasp it and try to pull it off. Naturally, she failed. She hit herself in the gut and said, 'Damn this stupid body!'

She then folded her arms and glared at the grid as if it was responsible for all of this.

'It isn't a test of strength,' Serpantha said, ignoring her self-pity. He grasped the grid himself, gently, and turned it around until it came free.

'Oh, that's a useless protection, if it can be called that it's just a screw on—'

'Save it for Esimi or Volüsa, you can ask them yourself, could you make your protection simultaneously more and less complex because I'm upset about being in a body I don't like even though I brought it on myself.'

Calen couldn't think of a witty retort. She wanted to blame it on her exhaustion, but knew it was because he was right. Which had a distinct sting to it. Without really knowing why, she murmured, 'Sorry.'

It was noteworthy that she had never apologised to anyone before in her life except her mother, who, obviously, didn't count.

Serpantha brushed it off, and merely gestured for her to, again, go first.

Calen said as she made her way, in a soft voice, 'Don't take so long this time.'

This time there was a slow, steady decent on smooth rock, which she found surprisingly easy to climb across. At the bottom of the slope she came to a place where she could stand, and when she turned to see Serpantha directly behind her she flinched. Out of courtesy, Serpantha pretended not to have noticed.

The perfectly hollowed out tunnel seemed to go on forever, and the air smelt musty, like cave air – old and damp.

'Go on,' Serpantha said as he noticed Calen standing frozen.

As she stepped out a sect of floor seemed unstable. She looked back to Serpantha, assuming he would know – which he did.

He smiled. 'I exaggerated how far we have to _walk_.'

They both stood on this platform, which was barely visible to be a platform, with no visible track to run on. That was unnerving, to say the least.

'This will take us most of the way,' Serpantha announced, sounding a lot happier than he truly felt, 'after that it's a small climb up.'

'Oh joy,' Calen said, mocking enthusiasm, as she sat down on the platform, carelessly deciding to let Serpantha do all the work.

Serpantha sat down next to her, and without Calen noticing he pressed a button on the edge of the platform. With that, they both shot down the tunnel.

Calen couldn't help but gasp.

'One thing I found noteworthy about my father though,' Serpantha looked to her when he spoke. With no pretence, speaking to her as he would speak to Larpskendya, 'is that when he spoke he was reluctant to let our inputs change what he was saying. As if he had pre-prepared all he wanted to say in some grand speech. Don't you think?'

'I suppose,' Calen remained withdrawn, surprised at his behaviour.

'He made it sound so casual, it was such a pre-pared act, and I should know.' He paused. 'We're working together now, your opinions would actually be helpful.'

'But you're out of your depth, so I am entirely lost.'

Serpantha shook his head. 'The way I like to do things, the way I've always done things, is to ask as many people's opinions as possible. On Orin Fen, in my family, this means sitting in a room with everyone arguing for hours until one of us comes up with a crazy idea and runs off to do it because no one has any other idea.'

Calen snickered. She thought for a moment before saying, 'Slightly sadistic, isn't he?'

'He's sadistic that barely needs to be said, but I don't know _why_.' Serpantha mused.

'He isn't that sadistic,' Calen scoffed. 'I mean he brings people back to life, and he hardly kills people by making the suffer.'

'It isn't a competition.' Serpantha said meaningfully.

Calen made no effort to hide her annoyance. 'Fine, I will put it in your terms, he doesn't enjoy others suffering he just doesn't care about it. Who can blame him? Why should he care? If he merely didn't care about others suffering there wouldn't be an issue, the issue has only occurred when he wants to take over the universe.'

'A good point,' Serpantha said approvingly. 'But why does he want this? It isn't logical.'

'Who cares!' Calen grew frustrated with him. 'I know your way of doing things is to try and get to people by hitting them where it hurts but he's erased all pain from his life, he even finished off your mother didn't he? He's too set on his goals and, as you would say, too far gone.'

Serpantha was silent for a while. 'How else do we beat him?' he said at last.

Calen couldn't answer.

'Exactly,' Serpantha said cockily. 'We can't match the magic. We could close the entire thing trapping him there but that would also trap Yemi, which is something I could never do – not that we can anymore, because it was only open two thousand years ago. Now there is no way of telling where it is. Beating him in your fashion is an impossibility.'

'Isn't bring people back to life also a possibility? Because you already beat that one.'

'What are you trying to prove?' Serpantha asked irritably.

Calen matched his displeasure. 'To beat a sadist you have to be a bit sadistic yourself it's why I'm here. Theoretically, we could use the power he does for ourselves. We can only establish Yemi has more power than him, and he may be unconscious with his memories erased, but if we can erase the spell erasing his memories and get him on our side – which I imagine won't be hard – we have a chance.'

'You want me to use an infant to kill my father?'

'This is hardly the time for a morality crisis,' Calen said dismissively, 'you do what you have to do to survive. Accept the fact your father has to die and accept that you may have to use a child's magic to do so, he will not remember it anyway.'

Serpantha rubbed his temples. 'I have to agree,' he sighed, 'as much as it pains me to admit it, given you would stab anyone in the back to save your own skin, you're right.'

Calen smirked. 'We can hate ourselves and reassess our life choices when this is all over, until then we have permission to be amoral sadists.'

'Amoral sadists with no idea how to fight him,' Serpantha reminded, more seriously.

Calen remained more optimistic. 'It's a start. Besides it is not all about being sadistic, it is about having nothing to lose. We kill him or die trying. I'll learn from you if you learn from me too.'


	10. Chapter 10: Journey

Thanks to the journey on the platform, Calen had time alone to think. Conversation had ceased, and it gave her the time to work out what she was going to do – not just now, but afterward. Her thoughts became so rushed, loud, and confused that it gave her a headache, which made her unable to appreciate the relief of rest given how tired she had been. In deliberate attempts to distract from serious thinking, she wondered what the platform actually was. Unfortunately, she didn't really care so simply made a note to ask Serpantha – later, though, she couldn't handle conversation due to her overwhelming thoughts and emotions. One of the loudest thoughts on her mind was how uncomfortable she was in this body. It didn't feel right and it just plain frustrated her. It was useless, frail, and she was exhausted from brief exercise! Why would Serpantha's father trap her in it unless it was a personal attack on her?

Her trail of thought was only interrupted when the platform came to a jolting stop which only she seemed to be surprised by. She looked back, throwing her messed hair out her face, and felt the need to say something so asked, 'What is this?'

'It used to be a train track, underground of course – above us is a good few miles of sea,' Serpantha explained, standing up, out stretching his hand to Calen.

To his surprise, she took it and he helped her up.

She brushed herself off subtly and said lazily, 'Please tell me it isn't far from here.'

'As I said there is a good few miles of sea and where we want to go is nearer the surface.' Serpantha didn't have to explain further for Calen to realise and almost become like a sulking child.

Calen didn't need an answer but she asked anyway. 'With strictly no flying?' A thought seemed to suddenly occur to her, and she said more panicked, 'What if I fall can't I fly?'

'Don't fall.'

Sure enough, the journey in a direction that can only be described as 'up', climbing built-in pipe rungs was long and strenuous. To help her new acquired fear of heights Serpantha had let Calen go in front of him, which was surprisingly irritating due to her slow pace that she only made up for with her denial about being tired. Of course she was tired, had she not seen the state of her human body? The previous owner had clearly neglected it… Not that he planned to tell her that body had a previous owner just yet, that would be too bigger news, but it was obvious from the way her mannerisms were gradually changing that her mind was melding with the previous owner's. Luckily, for now, it was unconsciously, and hopefully it would stay that way for their journey back to Esimi and the others – if not, there was to be an awkward explanation where he couldn't judge her reactions well enough to be delicate.

However, Calen's situation could be beneficial, not only for Calen to be more co-operative and less exhausting to work with but to explain how Zina was seemingly back from the dead. All his father had done was destroy Calen's own body and somehow place her in an empty shell of an already dead one. A remarkable and baffling process, but it does require less magic and he could have achieved it on his own from all the magic he leaked. Meaning he never used Yemi's magic, which could mean if he did they would be able to detect him. But that theory still didn't explain Zina. She could potentially ruin everything and his brother didn't care.

'I really should have seen this coming,' he murmured to himself, almost unaware he was speaking at all.

'What?' Calen said, hiding her lack of breath. 'How could you anticipate this? No one could.'

Serpantha decided to engage with her yet again. 'No, I mean once I knew it was him, or even began to suspect… I should have guessed he would do this. Zina's an appeasement nothing more, he caused her death and now he's brought her back to win over Larpskendya simply because of his magic.'

'He caused her death?'

'To spare you the details the protection around a planet she should have been safe on was breached – but not all over, not enough for us to know in time, just a small gap, right where Zina was. We had no idea how it was breached or who by, but I think I can accurately put the two together.'

'It hardly holds much significance,' Calen said dismissively. 'if you want a hug and sympathy for not predicting this you're talking to the wrong person. He's using magic to bring people back to life and create chaos for the sake of chaos, and we have to stop him which, let me be the first to say, doesn't seem impossible at all.'

'You are not helping, Calen,' Serpantha said, matching her tone.

'You think I care?' She scoffed. 'You undermine how hard it is being me, in many ways you have it easier.'

'Tell me one.' Serpantha said, more amused at the idea than annoyed.

'You're a big name; people know who you are and what you've done.'

Serpantha couldn't help but laugh. 'I'm a name. I know you always wanted to be one of those names; of course you did, but… I never wanted that. Why would I want to be name? All it does is make you a target and put anyone you know in danger, my father always wanted me to make a name for myself and I did. I'd give anything to be a no one.'

'That's insanity.'

'To you, it would be.'

Conversation dwindled in and out throughout the ascent, which turned out to be a good thing for Calen as she often found hiding the exhaustion from her voice was more effort than it was worth. Still, she was in a unique position and was interesting to hear what he had to say – not much of it was surprising, but aspects were beyond her expectation to say the least. It took them a long time to reach another hatch, something she was sick of; however, she opened this one with ease on her own.

'More steps,' Calen mumbled, starting to descend into madness with exhaustion of the mind and body. She persevered anyway, not wanting to hear Serpantha's voice telling her to hurry up – not in the mood she was in. To her relief, she barely climbed three rungs before an arm extended down to her.

Esimi reached down and grabbed Calen's arm, pulling her out of the shoot, coming face-to-face with her, unable to hide her surprise – she had expected Serpantha to go first. After all, if Calen fell and she was in front, she could make them both fall. Once she took a split second to adjust to the thought, she got Calen out as soon as possible, not paying attention to her whatsoever.

The first thing Calen saw was that they were surrounded by water, which was enough information for her to kneel down and cup as much as she could into her mouth, trying not to appear too desperate even if she desperately needed it. She wiped the dripping water from her chin and slowly looked at her surroundings. For a start the water wasn't as clean as she first perceived through blurry tired eyes, it had grit settled at the bottom and was a rather odd colour – although that may have been altered by the stone beneath it, it was difficult to tell. They were in large cave and that's all about she could tell. Huge stalactites dripped from the ceiling and stalagmites pierced through the ground, although amongst this natural structure was what she was currently resting on. A catwalk like structure, a circular island with a thin path to dry stone, clearly there for comfort as the pool of water was only a few inches deep.

'Are you done sight seeing?' Serpantha asked from behind her, interrupting her trail of thought.

Calen swung around and said spitefully, 'What's the rush?'

'I know you're a bitter angry person,' Esimi said evenly, 'but could you possibly just refrain from acting like a child refused candy?'

Serpantha smirked as Calen's face fell in annoyance.

Venibilles was the first to notice Serpantha's presence, stopping mid-sentence and standing up, which caused Zina to look to him. She didn't utter a word but there seemed to be understanding between them.

'My father's back,' Venibilles said needlessly.

'We know,' Heiki said bitterly. 'with Calen.'

'Are we all just going to sit here and continue waiting then?' Venibilles urged them.

'We don't know how to get them,' Rachel said. 'What else can we do?'

'Well I'm no genius,' Venibilles said energetically, 'but I think it's lucky we have to do the one thing I'm good at: go down.' He finished it off with a quick wink, in case anyone missed the joke.

Heiki chuckled, but her smile fell when she saw Rachel's annoyed expression.

'What's up with you?' Heiki asked.

'That's not funny,' Rachel said bluntly.

'I happen to think it was quite hilarious,' Venibilles said, giving what had now become his signature smile – like a horizontal crescent moon, only his top row of teeth showing.

'I still don't want to go somewhere we shouldn't.'

'Rachel are you kidding me?' Heiki grew angry. 'There are much more deadly situations we could and have been in, but this is just uneasy in your stomach is it?'

'I'm sorry?'

Zina sighed heavily. 'Shut up all of you. I'm staying here, Rachel stay too if ya want, no one cares anyway.'

'You don't have the right to talk to me like that!' Rachel bristled.

'I can't be as'ed to 'ave this fight.'

'Rachel leave it.' Venibilles said neutrally.

'Wizards think they can tell everyone what to do, don't they?' Rachel said, beginning to lose her temper.

Venibilles laughed. 'Because you've met so many.'

A sad, but equally (and strangely) unreadable, stayed on his face long after he finished his sentence.

The four of them were still arguing when Esimi re-entered the room, along with Serpantha and Calen, and they were so engrossed in their own anger they didn't notice until Esimi cleared her throat loudly to get everyone's attention. Almost comically, everyone turned their heads and gradually moved to face them.

There was a few moments of silence in which everyone looked at each other to see who would dare speak first. Heiki's eyes darted between Serpantha and Calen – she barely knew what to do with herself, and what was worse was that she knew she wasn't subtle about how uncomfortable the situation made her.

'What are you all arguing about?' Serpantha said eventually.

'Nothing important.' Venibilles answered bitterly.

Noticing Heiki's awkwardness, he mouthed, 'Are you OK?'

Heiki smirked as a reply, which was reply enough.

He then turned his gaze to Rachel who shrugged.

Zina awaited her turn, and when it didn't come she said, 'Oh and feel free to ignore me, I only came back from the dead I ain't traumatised or anythin'.' Zina remarked. 'And ya know, I got a dead daughter – no big deal, eh?'

'Zina I mean this in the kindest way possible,' Serpantha replied plainly, 'You didn't have to deal with his reaction. When you died he always said if it wasn't for Athena he would have gone with you, so when Athena died how was I supposed to feel – what was I supposed to think? I wouldn't leave him alone for weeks.'

Zina put her hand to her heart and interrupted, 'He said that?'

'That's beside the point. And the point is you didn't have to hold him back while he was crying over her dead body screaming for her to come back to life.'

'Stop it,' Zina said, beginning to feel queasy at the thought of the image. 'I get it. It was enough trauma the first time. But what's done is done.'

'I'm still processing the idea of Larpskendya having offspring,' Calen commented absently, and rather insensitively. 'Especially with a human.'

'Not even I believe it sometimes,' Serpantha replied, surprisingly respectful to her confusion and curiousity. 'Once they died he wasn't the same. Not in the sad way he is now, I mean he was angry and bitter – and I've never seen him like that. Which is when he let everything loose in the war effort and began pushing Heebra to insanity.'

Calen silently acknowledged him while staring blankly into space.

'What pulled him out of it?'

'You.' Serpantha gave her a moment to absorb the information before continuing. 'That's how shorter time scale it was, which is perhaps something to remember next time you berate him for not telling you. The wound was still very much open.'

'Oh,' said Rachel, not knowing what else to say, feeling guilty. 'I suppose I don't have much right to…'

'No. But don't hate yourself too much – you didn't know, and we can stop pretending the two of you won't forgive each other anything.'

Heiki seized her window of opportunity and said, 'Unlike me; I still have genuine issues.'

'I haven't forgotten.' Serpantha said coolly.

Heiki looked to him and her eyes began to water.

'Oh, turn it off.' Serpantha scoffed.

To everyone's surprise, Heiki let out an annoyed sigh, wiped her eyes and said, 'Fine. How did you know?'

'I've raised enough children to recognise feigned tears, and sleep, from a mile off.'

'It works on Rachel to get what I want.' Heiki shrugged, only increasing Rachel's shock when she quickly added, 'Then again, Rachel believes a lot of things – especially my acts. Oh come on you've all been dying for an opportunity to bring it up. I just figured if I said it first no one can surprise attack me later with it. I mean really this must be Christmas for you sadist.'

Serpantha smirked approvingly.

Rachel found her behaviour more shocking than amusing. 'I trusted you! How many three am tears were just to get me to forgive you or for food?'

'Nearly all of them; who cries at three am?'

Serpantha sensed Rachel's mood and whispered to her, 'Don't take it personally, let her deal with this in her own way.'

Rachel didn't reply but she took note and reasoned he was probably right. After all, Heiki never had a normal way of dealing with things.

On Heiki's sixteenth birthday, which was spread over three days because no one knew if she was born on the twenty third or twenty sixth, she spent her time getting blind drunk and eventually showed up at Rachel's house at five am covered in her own vomit and hysterical. It took her until nine am to finally pass out, and up until then was spent throwing up in the toilet. Luckily, at the time Heiki had a crew cut so no one had to hold her hair back but everyone questioned what she had consumed – even Heiki did, but her periods of hysterical crying and laughter made it impossible to find out. It also lead to an argument between Rachel and her mother, in which her mum was saying how Heiki isn't a good influence, but Rachel just said she had been through a lot in her life. This obviously wasn't a good enough reason, especially with such lack of detail, so her mum went on to list all the awful things Heiki was doing. Heiki's drunken shouting and giggling from the bathroom about how she had done much worse didn't help, but Eric shut her up before she could go on. This was not the only incident of its kind.

'You aren't a nice person,' Rachel said, trying to come out on top.

'I don't pretend to be.' Heiki brushed off.

To try to ease the tension, Esimi sprung into life and suggested 'I say we pack up until Larpskendya returns with Lyrai, sound like a good plan?'

'Works for me,' Serpantha said emptily.

'Good,' Heiki said livelily, 'Now you can explain why you left us for six years cos you're no longer busy.'

'I believe my son already gave adequate explanation,' Serpantha calmly countered.

'No,' Heiki didn't hesitate to question how he knew that. 'I mean explain to me and tell me why, in full knowledge of what it would do to me, you left. It's not like you just left Earth, all magic went missing and we heard _nothing_. I've kept my cool so far and co-operated because I appreciate it's the last thing on your mind but now it's time you gave me an explanation in exchange.'

'As my son explained, I never break my word, especially when it comes to Sprites.'

Heiki instantly threw back, 'Because you're so interconnected, I get it, whatever – but what about me? Do I not matter? She would never have known Serpantha you know that!'

'Of course you mattered to me don't start that,' Serpantha said, slightly annoyed. 'I have nothing further to say, Heiki, sorry.'

'After all Lyrai has caused you listened to her over me.' Heiki said, trying to prevent her anger becoming sadness.

'Lyrai on many levels is a terrible person,' Serpantha agreed casually. 'When Toyé died she said it was her own fault, she voices every insulting opinion she has, she always believes she's right and the list goes on. She's also an old friend of mine, and has never done anything with malicious intent.'

'Her intent changes nothing, you admitted yourself she's a terrible person.'

Serpantha seemed unnaturally unaffected by the entire conversation. Not uncaring, but certainly unbothered. 'I never bought into this idea of good and bad, or even evil if you want. Nothing is that black and white, take Calen for brief example—' Calen suddenly became alert and stared blankly to him '—she has no fear of killing and certainly doesn't feel remorse or guilt, but she no longer has the urge to kill; she no longer wants to. What does that make her, good or evil?'

'Evil,' Rachel said, arms folded, while bitterly staring at a wall.

'I never thought I would be the one to say this but he has a point Rachel, you're being irrational,' Heiki said anxiously. 'Whether you believe in good and evil or not, the basic fact is not everyone fits neatly into either box.'

'And you should never trust the people that do.' Serpantha added.

Even Calen sprung back to life as all three women asked in unison, 'What?'

'People who fit into being perfectly good or evil cannot be trusted,' Serpantha explained, 'people like that aren't real. No one is entirely either way it's not possible, we all have a dark side we don't want others to know, and in Calen's case we have a good side we don't wish to show.'

Calen was offended but didn't want to justify him with a response. Not that she knew how to respond anyway.

'But you aren't evil in the slightest, at all,' Rachel said, shaking her head.

'Do you really believe that?' he asked her softly.

Rachel breathed deeply for a while before speaking. 'I'm not sure. But I refuse to believe you're malicious or cruel – you know: _evil_.'

'I have been in the past, I willingly admit that.'

'But you're ashamed of it, you were manipulated,' Rachel pressed.

'I was still evil. You can take my word for it because I would never make this up. We all have good and evil inside of us it merely depends on what you feed to what you become. Cliché but true.'

'Fine but I refuse to believe Larpskendya has a bad bone in his body.' Rachel said angrily.

Serpantha kept his almost eerie tranquillity. 'I certainly admire his integrity for not becoming like me but yes he has been in the past. You should have seen his reaction when Zina died. He kept it together surprisingly well, mostly because of Athena, but he vented it when it came to fighting and it was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen. Even more so when Athena died.'

Rachel shook her head, more assertively this time, 'but…why?'

'Even the nicest people have their limits Rachel, remember that,' Serpantha told her solemnly. 'When Zina died is when he began to push his luck and do things he regrets. When he really begun to push Heebra and effectively drive her insane. But that's not discussable because apparently it's still a sensitive subject.'

Rachel hung her head moodily. 'I hate all of this.'

'I know,' Serpantha said sympathetically, 'one of the worst things to do is to grow up and see those you hold in such high esteem as they really are: imperfect, complex beings that don't always make good choices.'

'Reality sucks.' Rachel said finally.

'It does,' Serpantha agreed.

'And you always have a way of straying from what I ask.' Heiki interrupted, not willing to leave the conversation there.

'I found it very explanatory, actually,' Serpantha replied matter-of-factly. 'I'm not perfect, I am a very selfish person who saw the opportunity to have a family I've wanted since I was your age and I took it no matter what the cost. I didn't consider anything else because I didn't want to. Although what I did was wrong I was fully justified in it, and my actions are understandable.'

'Which is why the good and evil thing is problematic, right?' Heiki jumped in.

Serpantha nodded. 'That's your explanation. I was selfish, I loved Owlola, so I prioritized her, I didn't want to taint my child's birth, and I wanted to watch my children grow up, away from war and it meant leaving you so I made myself believe you would be alright.'

'I know six years pales in comparison to two thousand with your own daughter but it still hurt.' Heiki said thoughtfully.

'And it pales in comparison but watching you go against everything I ever said also hurt,' Serpantha replied.

Heiki cast her gaze down, 'I didn't go against everything…' she looked back up to him, speaking faster this time, 'once magic was gone, I took up dancing again. I got my grade eight, you know. Magic helped me, I could take all the best classes. You are looking at the most world famous female and male dancer of the time. I created an alter ego, rich boy, black hair, tall, skinny, rich parents that _tragically_ died when he was fifteen.'

Serpantha softly laughed, 'Very good.'

'Which also proves you wrong about bulk affecting my flexibility, you know.'

'I do, I do, but I did tell you tone not strength. I know you were just trying to drag me to Earth or endanger yourself so I would show up again. Which is far from acceptable.'

Heiki remained sturdy in her beliefs. 'I can't live without you, what else was I supposed to do?'

Serpantha remained silent before changing the subject, lightening his tone. 'It has been a while, who wants to see my daughter for the first time in two thousand years? I can update Larpskendya later, the journey usually takes a good fifteen hours but it's been so long it should take longer, so who else is willing to bet on it taking him fourteen?'

While Serpantha smiled at his own joke, Rachel remained concerned.


	11. Chapter 11: Volüsa

Everyone had again changed rooms and the entire structure was being to become disorientating. They were in a large room with six double beds, and through an empty doorway there was a small kitchen type room, with a few cupboards and a work surface, a tank of water that could be released by tap, and what was presumably some form of kettle. If it hadn't have been underground, it would be a nice place, but claustrophobia was being to set in and the lack of fresh air was making everyone who wasn't used to it light-headed. Also the floor had a distinct lining of dried dirt, but no one dared to bring it up. Everyone just found a bed to sit on, except Serpantha and Calen.

When Esimi brought Volüsa into the room, there was no one who wasn't shocked. No one knew what to say, everyone just looked at each other, needing confirmation that they weren't the only ones feeling that way. She didn't look human, but she didn't look like a Witch either, more like some awkward hybrid from a failed experiment. There was almost something sinister about her, and even though Rachel knew she couldn't be evil, she had that air about her, and in unnerved everyone. Except Serpantha, he was more concerned at what brought her to that point. Everyone was deep down, but fear has a way of forcing out all other emotions, it spills like black dye into water, spoiling and masking all things in its path. No matter what, if you're afraid nothing else seems to matter.

The most striking thing was her dead looking body, strongly visible through a pair of yoga pants that only came down to her knees, and a vest top that showed her stomach with hip bones jutting through. Her thighs didn't touch and her wrist bones were bigger than her forearm, she looked like she shouldn't be alive. He body was covered in tattoos, a pink flower with black lines bursting from it poked out from the top of her vest top, and they were all up her legs and arms. Her hair, once long, wavy and a vibrant orange had dimmed and dried with her ill health, and her eyes seemed so dead. There was nothing behind them. No joy, no sadness, nothing. She had nothing left; she was too drained of her emotions to possibly feel any anymore. Naturally the first person she looked at was Serpantha. They looked at each other for a moment, not knowing what to say, and then Volüsa threw arms around him and put her head over his shoulder. Once he recovered from the shock he held her back, and she began to cry. Not that she would ever admit it, but even Calen felt taken back by the scene in front of her, because of the raw and unveiled emotion in it. Neither of them cared how it looked, two thousand years ago Volüsa was a little girl who wanted her father, and not much had changed in that time.

It took a while for Volüsa to compose herself, her and Serpantha spoke in their own language for a while until finally Volüsa sat down, leaning slightly forward, which made her collarbones jut out.

'How's the last two thousand years been?' Serpantha asked, masking emotion with humour.

'Great,' she smirked. 'You all want to know what's happened, I suppose.'

'No actually we're doing this for fun.' Calen remarked snidely.

Volüsa glared at her briefly and then looked down. Everyone watched her breathing until she finally spoke, not looking at anyone. 'Orin Fen is gone.' She paused, but since no one said anything, she then continued. 'When you had all been missing for a month, Owlola went to Earth – we had to explain. As it turned out Eric had detected a massive surge of magic, and we worked out it was a white hole. I was a child, but I remember Eric being incredibly angry. Only Morpeth was able to calm him down.'

Rachel interrupted. 'What?!'

'I should have explained that,' Volüsa cursed herself under her breath. 'He came back to look after Eric, and he had to hear the news too, after all.'

'So Eric and Morpeth are both dead now, aren't they?'

Volüsa solemnly, almost apologetically, nodded and then continued with her story. 'I think Eric was angry at himself, really, of course he was angry at my race – he had a right to be, but he hated himself for not being able to do anything. If he had been with you he could have, at least, he always said that me.'

'Always?' Rachel said, confused.

'Hey, Rach, idea – let her finish the story then ask any questions.' Heiki snapped.

Before Rachel could object to Heiki's attitude, Volüsa went on. 'When I got older, a few years older than Venibilles is now, I went to Earth. Eric was around twenty-one at the time, and he did not recognise me at all—' she turned to Serpantha, '—yet he knew I was your daughter. My original purpose of going to Earth was merely to explain more information on the situation and see how he was coping, but I ended up spending a lot of time with him. About 60 years, actually.' She laughed, 'I lived permanently on Earth that whole time, occasionally returning to Orin Fen to see my mother of course, and my brother.'

Serpantha interrupted this time, 'If after I left another son of mine was born that only leads me to one grim conclusion.'

Volüsa nodded, and then looked to Rachel. 'As I said, I lived on Earth with Eric. We never had children, we never wanted any, and agreed it was wrong to have children just to try and have a child with his gift in case, in the future, such a skill was ever needed…' her entire face fell. 'I know Eric was never capable of killing, and it was obvious he never wanted his own family to ever become killers. Which, as much as our species likes to deny it, we are.' Volüsa sighed. 'Before Eric was even old, Owlola died, in the same way as her mother. I was obviously distraught when I returned to my own planet and was told, so I went to Earth – I needed the shoulder of the man I loved to cry on. My brother followed me, coming to Earth about a day later to see if I was OK. Sadly, despite the fact we were gone for only a few weeks, when we arrived back on Orin Fen…'

Volüsa just looked at Calen murderously for a while, and it was not long before everyone figured it out. After a while, Volüsa addressed her with sudden anger, not raising her voice or changing her posture to be threatening, but the anger in her voice pierced through the room, making everyone cautious. 'Your kind attacked our planet and wiped everyone out. Nothing was left, just ruins, dead bodies,' Volüsa looked as if she was going to be sick and attack Calen simultaneously. 'The irony was your kind had no idea what they had found was, in fact, Orin Fen. You killed the race you came from, although the amount of alterations your species gave itself made us the equivalent of the slime that first crawled out of the ocean.'

Calen looked blankly at Volüsa, only trying to measure up her power. It was clear she had once been as powerful as Larpskendya himself, what concerned her, and everyone, was why that power was so diminished she could barely stand.

'By now we know humans know about us. Because of me. I didn't initiate contact. I did that right, it's about the one damn thing I did do right. But the human race found a dead High Witch on Earth. Curtsy of yours truly… Perhaps I should have been more careful but I was lonely, and I had been so beaten down I didn't care. I still wouldn't if it hadn't have lead to this. But I decided to drop in on them I couldn't leave this up to humans. I'd rather show you this than tell it, really…'

And she did. No one even thought about the risks of using magic.

_The laboratory they found themselves in looked pretty typical. Two male scientists in white coats with gloves looked upon the dead Witch lying before them on an autopsy table. A dissection. _

_As they speechlessly prepared themselves, Volüsa shifted into the room, in her intricate golden dress, looking too the floor, letting her hair fall behind her. She was clearly readying herself. Preparing herself for the show. _

_The two scientists turned to see her at the same time, nearly dropping their equipment in shock._

'_How did you get in here and who are you?' one demanded. _

'_I am Volüsa Blaksey,' she replied without moving. 'Now you.' _

_Both seemed equally confused, but the braver one said, 'Dr Braft. So's he, we're brothers.' _

_Volüsa nodded, amused. 'Hm. I have a brother. However he didn't feel like doing this trip, perhaps it would be better if he did – I wish not to invoke fear.' _

_On her last word, she looked to them both, standing her full height, flashing her eyes. _

_The one who had not spoke looked between the High Witch's eyes and Volüsa's. _

'_Oh don't worry,' Volüsa said. 'I'm not like that. I am a Witch. She's what you would call a High Witch.' _

'_She?' _

'_Yes,' Volüsa almost threatened them. 'She. I thought you would be more curious to me calling myself a Witch, but live your lives how you want to. They're a race of people, self-reproducing, unlike myself. They are descended from my kind.'_

'_How do you know our language?' The braver one insisted boldly. _

'_I have lived on Earth a very long time. Before I explain who I am, I feel the need to focus more on what you're about to do to her.' Volüsa wondered to her side, and delicately took her ruby snake from around her neck, holding it up elegantly, her eyes full of wonder. 'I think I should take this. A High Witch's snake – there last final defence. Not something you want to slice up.' _

'_Whatever it is, it looks like a snake, and it's dead.' _

'_Do I look human?' _

_His bravery recoiled. 'What?' _

'_Do I look human?' _

'…_no.' _

'_Then we can all assume I know what I'm talking about more than you, yes? If you want me to be blunt if you lay a finger on this you will be killed. But that's something I need to explain further, so if you would allow me to start from the beginning…' _

_The two scientists looked at each other, nodded, and allowed her to continue. _

'_First you need to accept the premise magic is a real thing. I can explain all this deeper at a later date but this is too urgent to dwell. You have a High Witch there, and I've told this story countless times but since before your world was even formed Wizards and High Witches have been waging war. My uncle was a Wizard called Larpskendya, and before me protection of Earth fell to him. Following?' _

'_Who was your father then?' the less brave one said, fishing for any extra information._

'_I am the daughter of Serpantha, Larpskendya's older brother. My father never had any involvement with Earth, so I wasn't going to mention him. May I lead the story now?' _

_The scientist sheepishly gestured for her to go on. _

'_Good.' Volüsa thought what to say for a while, and then continued. 'Anyway, all worlds and all beings with consciousness have…magic, it's an odd concept so you will have to hear me out before judging. However, magic has been prevented from developing on this world by my kind, for its own protection against High Witches. Now it seems one finally found you despite this planet having no magic for them to detect you by. Do I really need to explain why they're dangerous?' _

_The scientists looked the High Witch up and down, and back to Volüsa. _

'_Exactly,' said Volüsa. _

Volüsa stopped the memory to speak, and Rachel said. 'You lied through your teeth.'

'What else do you lie through?' Volüsa said bluntly.

'You know what I mean. Why not tell them the truth?'

Volüsa laughed. 'Could you imagine that conversation? That's a discussion I _never_ wish to have! It was easier to give them a version that didn't involve you, or Heiki, or Eric or anyone, because frankly it's over-complicated and unnecessary. Also it coulda been dangerous. And knowing what happened because of what I told them it would have been much, much worse.'

'I'll be the one to ask then,' Heiki said, 'What happened next?'

Volüsa became bitter. 'Time passed and I told them everything, magic was exposed and things were going surprisingly well. Until the day I realised they were lying to me. Of course they were, they're only human.'

The next memory was formed for them.

_Volüsa shifted to the lab, and looked around – there was an eerie silence and she could see her breath. No one seemed to be there but her, even the equipment had been cleared away, something they rarely did even when the lab was empty or even locked. _

_She looked to her side to see a surgical table and wondered how that hadn't been the first thing she noticed; especially when the size and shape of the body under the white cloth meant it could only be one person. In disbelief and fear she slowly walked to the table. Her hand, her entire body in fact, shook violently with emotion as she pealed back the sheet to see the cold, dead face of her brother. _

_She screamed. _

_She fell to the floor a weeping mess at the site and thought of what happened to her brother. She no longer had control of herself – or anything for that matter. All she had been told, all she had done, all she had lost – she was alone, perhaps the most alone any being has ever been. The last of her kind, of her family and of her planet. Her anguish was so powerful Rachel had to refrain from begging her to stop the memory. Rachel could look away but she couldn't block out the sound – the screaming, the crying, the sounds of pure pain. She forced herself to look again when Volüsa stopped. She was still crying but she couldn't help that, but she had become eerily calm, just stood there. It didn't make sense until Rachel scanned down her body and saw Volüsa had picked up scalpel and was holding it to her wrist. For a full minute Volüsa just stared at her wrist, pressing the scalpel to it and then taking it away, which is perhaps more normal behaviour for you or I, but there are painless ways to die with magic. She didn't just want to die, or maybe she didn't want to die at all: she wanted to cause herself pain. To punish herself. _

_After a few minutes, she looked up and saw a young girl, in her twenties or so, with long black and red hair wearing a lab coat. She was in a side room and had watched the entire spectacle. In any other situation the way she had paused mid action to behold the scene would have been comical. They merely stared at each other for a while, eerie silence creeping back into the room. Volüsa shakily stood, pulling herself up using the worktop, leaving the scalpel on it. Not once did her gaze drift from the scientist they recognised as Esimi. As Volüsa slowly made her way over to Esimi burst out of the side room, her hands up. _

'_I'm not one of them,' she said, trying to remain calm. 'Look—' she put her hand behind her ear, revealing it '—my grandfather was a Sprite.' _

_Volüsa stopped, still crying too much to speak, but she let this woman continue. _

'_I couldn't help him. I'm sorry Volüsa I am so, so sorry. But they have a weapon it kills magic and that's how he died. I've been working here to monitor how much humans find out.' _

'_You talk like you aren't one.' _

'_I'm not – not entirely. Humans can destroy magic thus destroying any magical person. They want magic for their own Volüsa so they're out to get you. They're working on a device so they can capture magic and use it. If you don't hide you'll die you have to come with me.' _

_Volüsa's expression didn't change. 'What's your name?' _

'_Esimi.' _

'_OK Esimi. Save my life.' _

_Esimi grabbed her hand. 'Where do you want to go?' _

_Volüsa's eyes screamed home, turning the orange-brown shade of Orin Fen. She said, 'I know the place.' _

_Esimi quickly grabbed a large backpack from behind the door, and shifted them both according to Volüsa's navigation. If Volüsa used her own spells they would be detected and Volüsa would be killed. But that was OK, Volüsa didn't want to use her magic anyway. She barely wanted it anymore. _

_They both landed on Flores, where sleet fell from the sky and the ground was a wet, muddy and icy mess. _

_Esimi shot a spell into the sky, her eyes filling with purple mist. _

'_That should keep us protected – for now,' she said, moving to take a spade from her bag. She began digging through the Earth and Volüsa said, 'How did you know?' _

'_Well why else would you bring us here?' _

_Volüsa shook her head. 'You knew this was going to happen, you prepared for it… if you just told me my brother might not be laying there dead.' _

'_You would have been killed along with me. So I prepared the best I could. I'm sorry.' _

_Volüsa composed herself as much as she could, and helped to dig with another shovel. Through digging twenty feet into the ground she never said a word. Bouts of tears came at times but stopped as suddenly as they started. _

_Eventually, at twenty feet below the Earth's surface, Volüsa gave up, sitting slumped in the mud as the slush from the sky fell on her. Esimi kept digging for a while before pausing to look at Volüsa, who was still unable to control her tears. She stuck her spade in the Earth, took off her muddy lab coat and put it around Volüsa, who was too distraught to show gratitude she certainly felt it. _

'So that was it, really,' Volüsa finished. 'I grew so tired as my brother and I were the only people to fight High Witches, but we rarely did. We had to allow their destruction for our own survival. I had a few good years, I did a lot on Earth and worked at many jobs and I met so many people but… I was always alone. And without a home. And most recently, without my brother.'

Serpantha could only say one thing, 'I'm sorry.'

Volüsa nodded sadly, 'Huh, yeah.'

'I'm sorry how is that possible? How large must that army have been to wipe out Orin Fen? It's absurd.' Calen argued, reeling in disbelief.

Serpantha rubbed his forehead in annoyance. Not noticing his exasperation, Calen continued, 'I mean even if you take away having millions of Griddas isn't Orin Fen a world of Wizards? Well, Witches too but the point still—'

'Calen, shut up.' Serpantha cut her off, his voice deep with a notable forced steadiness to it.

'That was abrupt and unnecessary,' said Calen, sulkily and confused, 'I mean how large must it have been? A few weeks? And not to be rude but Wizards are known for running and hiding – no one did that? I understand loyalty to your planet but…'

'Calen!' Serpantha snapped, releasing his built up anger. 'Shut up!'

'My species is dead, too, you know, yet I can stay calm and you can't?'

Serpantha regained himself enough to speak. He shot out the words, forcing them out. He gave a crooked smile and said sadly, 'In the gap of our war our numbers increased by fifty percent.' Calen stared blankly, not understanding.

Deciding to ignore Calen, he then addressed his daughter. 'So you've been down here all this time oblivious what's gone on?'

Volüsa nodded. 'I mean I know humans wiped out the Highs, as strange as it seems, but other than that I've just been going stir crazy here.'

Serpantha smirked. 'You come from our family no one expected you to be sane. But we have complications of our own.'

Serpantha explained all about his father and as everyone heard it summarised, the gravity of the situation sunk in more. One he was done Volüsa said, still in shock, 'So it would be almost better if we just stayed here and waited to die?'

'No,' Serpantha sneered. 'That isn't living I'd rather die here and now.'

'I still think joining him is a very valid option.' Calen said, still feeling empty.

Heiki rolled her eyes. 'Better dead than like that scum.'

'Exactly,' Serpantha said, turning to her.

Heiki noticed the disheartened expression on Rachel's face and jokingly said, 'I bet you wish we stayed at home.'

Rachel responded with a glare and Heiki's smile slowly faded out.

Rachel looked directly to Volüsa. 'What happened to them?'

'Eric just died, normally, I can't tell you when in case you do get back to your own time, no one wants to know that… After he died Morpeth went back to Ithrea and the Highs found it. I was there when they did, and he yelled at me to leave and I did you have to understand I was on my own and I was scared. We always thought when you all came back you'd be able to fix this and go back to your normal time so none of that would happen.'

Rachel looked away bitterly. 'You may have lost so much more than me but that doesn't mean you can all overlook my losses. I just don't believe you. Any of you.'

'This isn't the time.' Venibilles said annoyed.

'She has a point,' Heiki chimed in. 'I mean I always dreamed of a life where I knew more than five people, and then three of those I didn't see again for an unexplained reason. Not that I'm complaining I'm just pointing it out as a valid issue.'

'Duly noted,' Serpantha said apathetically. 'Now may I point out the valid issue that the risk of us dying is much more important than hurt feelings?'

Heiki swallowed her pride and anger, and said sadly. 'Duly noted.'

'This is all well an' good,' Zina said, speaking for the first time in what seemed like forever. 'but what are we gonna do? We can bitch about our lives all we want it doesn't change anything.'

'Not much we can do, the next person I want to see in Lyrai,' Serpantha said, 'But since we're all here and we've been awake for over two thousand years you may as well sleep.'

'I have no objections.' Venibilles muttered, exhausted.

They quickly organised themselves, Esimi and Volüsa left, and people quickly worked out who would share a bed. Rachel and Heiki immediately decided to share, Serpantha told Calen to share with him which if not for her tiredness she would have objected too, leaving Venibilles to have to share with Zina.

Calen laid in bed with her arms folded and said, 'I don't see how this is productive.'

Serpantha didn't even look at her. 'You're human now, get used to it and stop complaining.'

'An' shut up,' Zina said, her voice quivering. 'Some of us are trying to sleep we've had a crap day too.'

While everyone else managed to drift of, Zina just cried, finally letting all the emotion out while no one could see.


	12. Chapter 12: Blood Brothers

Rachel awoke suddenly, as if from a nightmare, but she was unable to recall if she had dreamt at all. A panic set over her as she questioned whether finding Orin Fen again was a dream, and a quick scan of the room proved otherwise. Everyone else was still asleep, so she tried to sit up as delicately as possible. That's when she saw Serpantha, Zina and Calen were both gone. Not that she cared for the last one. Without making a noise, she crept through the room, hearing voices she decided to eaves drop hiding herself by pressing against the wall by the doorway into another section. Weirdly, one she'd never noticed before.

She nearly blew her cover when Serpantha said in a raised voice, 'Just shut up.'

Calen's voice rang, but it was whiny and childlike. 'I'm making a valid point—'

'I've had enough!' Serpantha burst. 'I don't care to hear what you have to say in your defence, because you don't have one. I have tried _everything_ with you. I've tried reasoning, I've been nice and I've been cruel. Nothing works.'

Calen made a noise like she was going to shout, but she quickly retracted it and instead asked calmly, 'Works for what?'

'You need to grow up Calen.'

'That's rich coming from you,' Larpskendya murmured. Rachel found herself inadvertently smiling at hearing it – she hated that.

'Those of us who raised the dead should be quiet,' Serpantha quickly commented before going back to Calen. 'You need to grow up and get a grip. We've been doing this same stupid dance our whole lives, and I'm so sick and tired of it. And just when I reach the finish line and think I've got my reward you restart the race. Now we're stuck here both of species dead, the woman I love killed herself out of loneliness and my children are suffering or dead.'

'I take no responsibility for that,' Calen said arrogantly. 'You said yourself if I hadn't had done what he said he would have made me, it was the only option.'

'Then maybe take responsibility for their daughter killing herself convinced she was entirely alone.' Serpantha said, becoming calm. 'No one was ever there for her, we were all caught up in what you were doing. He run himself half-insane trying to get back whenever he could just to see if his daughter was OK, which she never was because she frequently spoke of wanting to die. The best he could offer was an hour's comfort then away for days. I will never forget the image of him screaming and crying over her body and me having to hold him back. I—'

'I get it, just shut up.' Calen said, sounding genuinely upset.

He didn't. 'Or what about Toyé who died in my arms unrecognisable from injuries. She had been with someone nearly her whole life, but she could never have children. Guess what I found out when you could see her from the inside?'

Rachel found herself wanting to cry, but she was more confused to why this was emotionally affecting Calen.

'I get it.' Calen repeated, more shaken this time. She didn't know whether it was the emotion in his voice or what actually happened that was affecting her, but she, too, found it unusual that it was affecting her at all. 'What do you want from me?'

'Nothing anymore,' Serpantha said carelessly. 'If you want to go join my father I'm not keeping you here.' There was a long, uncomfortable pause. 'You don't like that do you? You know what's good for you and you aren't stupid you know what you want – you just want to start a fight because you crave it. Now, if we would like to put millennia of war behind us we can be a bit mature and work together. Understood?'

'Yes.'

'Are we all done yelling?' said a raspy voice: Lyrai's.

'Yes.' Serpantha said sharply.

'One thing I don't understand is why bring children?' Lyrai asked.

'Otherwise they're in the hands of my father any other time-wasting questions?'

'Ignore him,' Larpskendya said annoyed. 'He's lashing out at everyone because he hates his own life.'

'Don't act superior because you're too caught up in a girl to care about anything else.'

Calen interrupted, becoming braver. 'You preach about not fighting and acting mature but this entire time all you have done is argue with each other. But I suppose I'm wrong again.'

'She has a point,' Zina spoke up. 'I'm used to you both bein' hypocrites but getting angry ain't gonna help.'

'It's how we resolve things,' Serpantha defended. 'It's a family tradition to put everyone in one room trying to work out what to do until someone makes a snap decision that will either succeed or kill them. It's what we've always done.'

'How's that method working out for you?' Calen asked bluntly.

Eventually, all there voices blurred as everyone fought with each other, yelling to be heard over everyone else.

Rachel's head began to hurt so she decided to reveal herself, and gradually as they all noticed her stood there with a blank face they all stopped. 'You can't imagine how comforting it is to hear the people you trust you life with arguing like that.' She then noticed the pile of guns and knives on a table in the centre of them all and asked nervously, 'What's that?'

Esimi and Volüsa shifted into the room carrying more weapons to add to the pile. 'Oh you're up,' Esimi said cheerily.

'You can't use magic you said so yourself!' Rachel panicked.

'They already found us,' Esimi explained. 'Just because they find us doesn't mean they'll find a way in. But they're making there own way in, so we need to defend ourselves.'

'How did they find us?'

'We did it on purpose. We need their materials.' Esimi shrugged. 'Now do you know how to fire a gun?'

'What? No!' Rachel was almost offended. 'Why would I ever want or need to?'

'Now,' Esimi said as if explaining to a child.

'Heiki can fire a gun it'll be fine.' Volüsa said.

Rachel creased her brow. 'No she can't.'

'You went missing from Earth and Eric happened to find the place Heiki lived. There was a gun next to her bed and there was even a practice room.' Volüsa said smugly.

'What?'

'It was a massive place,' Volüsa continued. 'All concealed cos the outside looked like a dump, but it was state of the art. Expensive food, clothing, furniture, everything – stolen obviously some things still had security tags on them she hadn't gotten round to taking off yet. TV was stolen too, it was a massive flat screen it was gorgeous.'

Rachel looked disgusted, not knowing what to say. 'Didn't he care?' she finally asked.

'No,' Volüsa said casually, sorting through the weaponry. 'He already knew, she'd steal food for them on there walks and stuff, it was established. She never told you cos she knew you'd have a bad reaction.'

'In her defence,' Esimi added. 'there are worse things she could be doing, and is this really the time to be angry about petty theft?'

'Let's see what she has to say.' With that, Rachel stormed off to wake Heiki.

'That's the last time I try to be nice,' Volüsa said bitterly once she had left the room.

'Relax she probably just needs something to be angry about.' Zina commented.

Rachel ran back into the room, all anger turned into concern and panic. 'She isn't waking up something's wrong.'

There was a collective look around the room of trying to decide who should deal with it. After a few seconds, it was Serpantha that spoke up. 'Esimi, Volüsa, Calen stay here.'

He and Rachel rushed to Heiki's side and Rachel sat on the end of the bed looking to Serpantha for answers. The others quickly followed to watch to try and see what was going on, trying to watch as subtly as possible.

'Are you aware of Heiki's lucid dreaming hobby?' Serpantha asked casually.

'She mentioned it once or twice,' Rachel said in confusion. 'I know she's done it before.'

'Any idea where I'm going with this?'

Rachel thought for a moment. 'It isn't possible.'

'Nor is time travel or coming back to life last time I checked.'

'Someone explain.' Zina said.

Serpantha turned around. 'Lucid dreaming allows you to control what happens in a dream. She's gone to talk to my father and now she won't wake up. You can put the rest together yourselves.' Turning back to Heiki, he added. 'Any ideas what to do are welcome because I have none.'

Zina ran out and grabbed a gun from the table, and rushed to Serpantha's side.

'You can try it,' Serpantha shrugged.

Before Rachel could object or ask what they were about to do, Zina fired the gun right by Heiki's ear and the bullet pierced the wall, spilling dirt and dust onto the floor.

'Making a loud noise? Seriously?' Rachel said, clenched fists.

'Worth a try.' Serpantha muttered, and he held is hand out towards Zina. 'Give me a knife.'

Serpantha took the knife and held it delicately to Heiki's neck, the amount of care he had didn't match with what he was about to do, but all Rachel could do was watch open mouthed. He made a small triangular cut in her neck, and put his hand over it to stop the flow of blood.

Venibilles had woken from the shot and watched in shock as for all he knew Serpantha just cut her throat. He got the courage to speak and shakily asked, 'What are you doing?'

Serpantha began the process of magic leaking, and Heiki's eyes sprang wide open and pushed away from him. Serpantha quickly healed the wound and Heiki sat upright, breathing heavily. Nobody spoke until she did. 'I need to talk to you,' she said panicked.

'What is it?' Serpantha asked gently.

Heiki sat cross-legged, relaxing more, and Serpantha joined her, sitting next to her. Heiki struggled to get words out, but when she finally could she didn't stop. 'I spoke to your father and he told me the entire truth about everything, I'm pretty desensitized to horror films nothing scares me or freaks me out I've been watching them since I was five but this disturbed me—'

'Heiki, calm down, it's ok.' Serpantha said slowly.

Heiki took a deep breath and continued, more coherently this time. 'I said he could have myself, Rachel and Venibilles if he brought your mother back and he agreed…but you woke me up so I don't know if it'll still happen. I—I… If she does come back she will be able to explain because I don't want to go over it.'

'Heiki you aren't making any sense.' Rachel said as kindly as she could. 'And why would you do that? Do you have any idea how stupid that was?'

'The kind tone doesn't soften the insult,' Heiki said, becoming more vicious. 'I just thought she would know better than anyone what to do. She lived with him, she was in on this, we could use her.'

Serpantha stood up and addressed everyone. 'She has a point I don't think you've done anything wrong Heiks.'

Heiki quickly jumped in, not finished in her disjointed rambles. 'And you and Larpskendya are only maternal siblings, uterine, your father killed his.'

Serpantha looked at her directly and said calmly. 'Shush, I know, just relax.'

'Wait what?' Rachel asked in unison with Venibilles. By this time, Calen Volüsa and Esimi had made there way into the room and were equally curious.

'Perhaps that one should fall to me to explain.' A new voice said.

Everyone turned to see a Witch standing in the door way with a long purple dress, waist length dark hair, an elfin face and a small frame that only became fuller at her hips. She was beautiful, and had remarkable resemblance to Rachel.

Her and Serpantha smiled at each other, and she said. 'This room's a bit crowded.'

Her voice seemed to travel through the room like a fresh breeze, it was calming and made her seem so welcoming. It put everyone else at ease but Heiki, as from what she had seen her outward appearance wasn't reflective of what she was capable of.

She walked over and hugged Serpantha tightly and said, 'I'm so proud of you.'

Releasing him she went to Larpskendya and held his hands and said sadly, 'You look just like your father, and I'm sorry I was never there for you but you did better than most people would on their own.'

'It's true then?' Serpantha asked.

His mother turned around and walked to where everyone could see her. 'Yes. If the story is too difficult for Heiki to tell then I will.' She looked to Larpskendya. 'You're named after your father. He was my closest friend, and we fell in love. I was unlucky enough to become pregnant several months into our affair, and I sat on the beach outside our house with Larpskendya, my Larpskendya, and I remember telling him everything. But he showed up and he killed him without using a spell. I don't think that image will ever leave my head. Once the work was done he held the knife to my throat and he made me promise things wouldn't change, and he kicked me in the stomach. Larpskendya was still alive, just barely, and I was hunched over him. He used the last of his strength on me before passing.'

Zina leaned into Larpskendya and held her arms around him, leaning on to him in attempt to be as comforting as she could.

'That's also why Toyé was born so soon after,' his mother quickly added. 'He always was a bit possessive over what he felt was his.' She turned to Serpantha. 'That's also why when he came back and found out I had named him Larpskendya he was so angry. And although I appreciated you standing up to him and telling him he should have been there, it was one of the few times he somewhat had a right to be angry. But I didn't care.'

'That isn't all of it though.' Heiki said firmly. 'It's all coming out now you might as well say it.'

'I'm not entirely innocent,' she said earnestly. 'When we first met, I was around Calen's age, I was young and naïve and full of life. My father was ruler and we lived in that house, and I played courtship games with every man, and they all wanted me.'

'Of course they did, you were pretty, had magical power and high status.' Heiki added.

Ignoring Heiki's comment, she continued. 'Your father wasn't a well known figure, and where he was known it wasn't for the right reasons. Just like Serpantha he was short as a child, and don't get me wrong he had powerful magic but he didn't know what to do with it. He came to my balcony one day and we talked, and we gradually fell in love. A century or so passed and everything was fine, I would see him whenever he wasn't fighting. I genuinely loved him. And I still do, I still do, I still love that part of him because I know it's still there. Perhaps that's why I stayed despite his abusiveness.' She paused. 'Magic leaking was new, and he told me about it.'

'Magic leaking is no where near new don't let this be going where I think it is,' Serpantha said, tensing up.

'He made it sound so romantic. He said what if we could live forever together. It's no new news war sends people crazy, you either end up wanting to kill yourself or kill everyone around you. He told me so sweetly that everyone dies and I will have to deal with it one day. It's a testament to how manipulative he is that he convinced me to kill my mother, father, my brothers and my sisters who all happened to be staying with us that night in that big house. If we used spells people would know so we used swords and knives. He told me it was OK, they wouldn't know a thing, and he encouraged me through it. With only a sister left, I was covered in blood and I remember the tears washing the blood off my face, I came to my senses. I told him I couldn't do it. He just held the knife to me and told me I was just as much of a monster as him now.'

There was a long pause where she couldn't look anyone in the eye, and Serpantha merely said, 'Go on.'

'The cabinet we have that holds all the drinks, that used to be in my parent's room, after getting rid of the bodies there was some blood we couldn't clean. We moved that cabinet to cover it up, I'm sure the blood's still there. We would have children and then once they got older, we would take their magic and kill them. We'd make everyone forget they ever existed and we would change our identities. When we had you, Serpantha, we decided to settle down and have a real family for once, we had you an Áraliná, but once you reached adolescence he wanted to do the same thing again. I didn't, I'd thought it wrong for a long time but I was too scared to leave.'

'So then you started breeding like Catholic rabbits,' Heiki said. 'creating another family farm for more life and power.'

'Yes.' She nodded. 'I told Larpskendya everything, he said he would help me and we could have a family. But that opportunity never came, and he poisoned me when he left which is what I died from. Not that I actually died, I went to that white hole and it's where I've been this whole time.'

Serpantha was oddly calm. 'How did he do it then?'

'He realised Larpskendya had power. So he used it, an infant has no defence against being used for magic. Their magic combined opened up the white hole. It's probably why he had nightmares as a child so often, as their magic was mixed.'

'That's a lot of information to take in in one sitting.' Venibilles said, unable to move with shock.

No one knew what to say.

Calen was the first to speak up. 'And you were ranting about how bad I am.'

Serpantha turned to her, and while his tone remained quiet there was significant anger in it. 'At least my mother is regretful and above all a nice person.'

'I can fight my own battles you know,' his mother protested, and then her tone became meaner. 'Grow up or leave my family alone. Your choice.'

Before another word could be said, the entire room shook violently and sound like thunder echoed all around. An explosion. Once it was over, Serpantha said, 'Stay here.' And ran out, grabbing a gun on his way.

'No,' Heiki said plainly, even though he couldn't hear her, and she ran out, grabbed a gun and followed him.


	13. Chapter 13: Oriliagh

Serpantha a Heiki stood either side of the doorway, both clutching guns, listening for people. When Serpantha heard footsteps behind him, he didn't have to think twice about who would be following him – not that he minded, and he knew Heiki was probably just trying to distract herself. Hearing nothing, Serpantha asked her, 'What did you see exactly?'

'A lot,' Heiki said shakily. 'I watched them cut up the bodies of their children, and I saw your father kill Larpskendya on the beach.' Heiki shuddered. 'I even saw Toyé. She was getting ready to go on recon, and she kept saying that it would be fine to Larpskendya, and I watched her get ready… she looked beautiful, really, and then it just flashed to when she was dying. I don't think I'll ever get that image out of my head. The look in her eyes, too.'

'I know,' Serpantha said grimly. 'Nor will I.'

'It's just a lot to take in a one sitting I guess, I'll get over it.'

'How do you think I feel learning that my mother's a murderer?'

Heiki half-laughed sadly. 'When you think nothing can surprise you,' she paused. 'I missed you, you know.'

'I missed you too,' Serpantha said earnestly.

'Not in the same way,' Heiki said, growing more defensive. 'years of therapy didn't help me as much as a year with you. And then you disappeared. Which is why I was in therapy in the first place. Now what's the point of going, I can't tell them the truth,

I'd be locked up and called insane.'

'I'm sorry Heiki, I didn't want this.' Serpantha said.

'I know,' Heiki said immediately. 'but just listen to me. You were the first person to treat me like a person – not some patient, you didn't just sit there nodding or reminding me it wasn't my fault, you talked to me about it. Hell, you even bitched about people with me and offered your honest opinion on things. You were a friend to me, and you helped me. Therapy never did that. I don't think I can make anyone understand the impact it had when you left.'

'I'm not going to pretend to understand, either. The best I can relate is losing someone who you love, but know I've never stopped caring about you. I was never spending time with you as an obligation, Heiki.'

'Why haven't we heard anything yet?' Heiki asked, quickly changing the subject.

'No idea,' Serpantha admitted. 'but we stay here until we do.'

Heiki became solemn. 'I'm sorry about your mother being a killer… And Owlola killing herself, and your son dying…'

Serpantha smirked. 'You're sorry that this is the life I have to live basically.'

Heiki laughed. 'I didn't mean it to come out like that.' She paused. 'I am sorry, though, I mean, for the short time I spoke to her Owlola did seem like a wonderful person.'

'She was,' Serpantha agreed. 'My father always hated her though, because as much as I would like to congratulate myself on seventy-five percent of my children being male, it actually comes down the female line. Owlola had all sisters, and one brother who didn't live very long, so she wasn't considered a good choice for me. That and Owlola wasn't thin and delicate like he wanted the women in my family to be, you should have seen Áraliná growing up, she looked a bit like Volüsa does now. He wanted me to be with a woman who had five brothers, but I never liked her.'

Heiki raised her eyebrow. 'Because women basically exist to make children, be subservient and look good?'

'My thoughts exactly. In my generation that's what was expected, but no longer enforced like it used to be. I wonder why the Witches ever left to become the Highs. But Owlola was brilliant. One time my father caught us laying in bed together, and he screamed at Owlola to leave but she looked him in the eye and said very calmly that she didn't feel like walking for a while..'

Heiki giggled. Then her face fell in thought. 'It's been too long to hear nothing something isn't right.'

'Just wait.'

'What if I went up there? It's a little collapsed and probably gets worse, but I could make my way through it.'

Serpantha thought for a minute before handing her his gun, and saying, 'Be careful. I don't need your death on my conscience I have enough already.'

Heiki half-smiled.

His decision wasn't received well when he returned to the others to explain.

'Heiki is competent human being and I trust her to do this, just relax.' Serpantha defended himself.

Larpskendya burst, 'It's got nothing to do with her; it's you putting her in danger I'm angry about!'

'Now children,' their mother said, almost sarcastically. 'Let us not argue.'

'What do can I call you?' Rachel asked shyly.

'Anything you want,' she answered. 'but I assume you were asking my name, in which case you can call me Oriliagh.'

Rachel nodded slowly, still trying to take it all in.

Venibilles looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, 'How do we get what we need from them? The humans, I mean, and what do we need from them?'

'They have technology to take magic away from a host and imprison it,' Larpskendya said, and then added glumly, 'it isn't much, but it's a chance.'

'This is it then.' Rachel said heavily. 'Isn't it?'

'There is an alternative,' Serpantha admitted. 'We could live out the rest of our miserable lives here, as Volüsa has. But that isn't living it's just not dying, we're better off trying.'

'You realise killing him won't solve everything, right?' Oriliagh asked. All eyes turned to her, awaiting explanation they didn't want to hear. 'If you kill him, there's no guarantee when in time we could end up. You could land in your own childhood, or even mine, centuries before your birth. Or we could die too. And you know everything he does is intentional.'

'What do you mean?' Serpantha asked.

'You think he brought back Zina for no reason?'

Zina looked into Larpskendya's eyes fearfully. 'Larpskendya?'

'I wouldn't look to him for answers,' Oriliagh was almost offended. 'I assumed he knew. People without magic can't travel through a white hole and cross time zones.'

'But she did,' Larpskendya looked to his mother almost pleadingly. 'We both managed to travel here so she can do it.'

'Safeke did that, not her. If he dies...'

'Safeke?' Before anyone explained, Rachel realised and added, 'that's his name isn't it?'

Oriliagh gave a small single nod before turning back to Larpskendya. 'I'm sorry.'

Larpskendya and Zina looked at each other, holding hands, both trying to hold onto tears and hope. Serpantha fixed his eyes on his brother, and a lump sat in his throat preventing him from speaking.

To everyone's surprise, it was Serpantha who spoke first, not averting his gaze. 'If she had magic, how much would she need to be able to come with us?'

Oriliagh hesitated. 'I'm not sure.'

'You know what to do.' Serpantha said, picking up a knife and giving it to his brother.

Larpskendya took it, and he cut his own hand first. Once it was done, he gently took Zina's arm, used a quick spell to numb the pain, and made the same cut on her.

Larpskendya linked their bleeding hands. 'I have no idea if this will work, you know that right?'

Zina nodded, unable to speak.

With his other hand, Larpskendya brushed her face. 'I'm going wherever you are. I would follow you anywhere, isn't that what you said to me when you left Earth to come live with me? I never told you but I would to. I… I want you to remember that. I will follow you anywhere, even to the grave.'

Zina's voice cracked as she said, 'I love you.'

With that, the two of them kissed as their bloodied hands clenched together. And Larpskendya began his attempt to transfer magic to Zina.

Calen went wide-eyed witnessing it. 'I thought you didn't teach anyone how to magic leak.'

Serpantha turned to her quickly, as if she broke him out of a trance. 'I didn't, he figured out how to do it himself as an adolescent.' Seeing her face, he quickly added, 'it annoys me, too, it took me a year to master with someone teaching me. And Yemi can do it as an infant without physical contact. Do I need to explain further how much trouble we are in?'

Calen shook her head.

Some time passed, and Serpantha turned back to them, still kissing. 'Can you let me know just how far you're planning to take this so I know whether to find another room to work in or not?'

Rachel half-smiled.

Larpskendya finally drew away from Zina, and they both had a moment of breathlessness. And then Larpskendya saw new colour in Zina's eyes – it wasn't much, but it was something. His eyes welled up in joy as he healed both their wounds.

'I can't guarantee that will make her able to come with us, if we ever do get to go back.' Oriliagh said softly.

'It worked then?' Zina asked, her tone lightening.

Larpskendya took both her hands, raising her slightly, and instead of going on tip-toe, she hovered off the floor. Larpskendya grinned uncontrollably at her, forgetting everything. Out of fear, Zina landed on the floor.

'What's wrong?' Larpskendya asked, confused.

'I was amazed when Athena could keep changing the appearance of the Barbie she had from Earth,' Zina laughed. 'I don't think I'm the type to ever use magic, it still amazes me too much.'

Oriliagh chimed in, 'Be glad it could all disappear at any second then.'

'What do we do if that happens?' Zina asked warily.

'Then I've got plenty of magic you can borrow.' Serpantha said, looking at Larpskendya. 'To save him giving it away twice.'

'What happened to everything you said before?' Larpskendya seemed baffled.

Serpantha smiled apologetically. 'I know full well you don't want to live without Zina. Living without her now would mean you leaving her behind, consciously leaving her to die. It's not the same as killing who you love, which what I did, but that doesn't make it easier. Yes, I moved on a found Owlola but that's because Owlola is right for me, just like Zina is for you. Not anyone else. And you deserve her, and you deserve to be happy. But you won't be happy without her and you're the only person I have left. We're doing this together, OK?'

Larpskendya nodded gratefully.

Oriliagh spoke up. 'Safeke set it up, made him die in battle and made it so you'd have to take his magic. I tried to talk him out of it, I did, but he was too angry. I'm just glad you were able to find Owlola.'

Serpantha briefly acknowledged her, ignoring all emotion. Yes, he found Owlola, who he loved more than anyone, but he never truly forgot his previous love, his best friend. But it was OK, because being angry always helps in battle, so his anger would just have to wait until the perfect moment.

The mood was quickly broken by Heiki storming into the room, holding both guns to the back of a beaten-up looking young man. He had been completely disarmed, stripped down to a black T-shirt and skin tight black trousers.

'Stand up against that wall,' Heiki instructed coldly. He shakily did so. 'Are you prepared to co-operate completely yet?'

'No,' he answered in bad, accented English. 'You'll kill me whether I do or don't.'

Without hesitating, Heiki ran up to him and punched him the face. He fell to the floor in pain, and after a few more blows she pulled him up and pinned him to the wall. 'You are part of what killed Serpantha's son, what killed innocent people, and you will give us any answer we want.'

'No.'

Heiki pushed him into the wall and let him drop down. She raised her hand, and Serpantha shouted, 'Stop!'

Heiki lowered her hand, keeping a threatening gaze on the man on the floor.

The man spit blood, and then spoke. 'You just do what he tells you then? See, you're afraid too. And not as superior as you think.'

Heiki looked out of the corner of her eye to Calen. 'People should do what you say out of respect, not fear. Which is what I do.'

The man looked directly to Serpantha. 'If you're going to kill me do it.'

'Where would you get that impression?' Serpantha asked with eerie calmness. 'I am, after all, only the father of Volüsa, whose brother you killed, making him my son.'

'I didn't personally do anything, and right now I'm only following orders.'

'I'm not interested in your weak defence,' snapped Serpantha. 'Heiki elaborate on him.'

'He was the first and only to be sent down.' She began, speaking firmly and monotone. 'The others where going to come down as soon as they got his all clear, I have his futuristic version of a walkie-talkie I figured it would be useful, and his weapons are just outside this room in case you wanted them.'

'What have you been instructed to do?' Serpantha asked, although with two guns pointing at him the man didn't exactly have much option but to answer.

'See how many we would need to capture those here with magic.' He answered sheepishly. 'Now tell me why there's a white girl, an Asian and an albino. Some kind of interbreeding between your kind and humans?'

Rachel was about to speak, but Serpantha answered before anyone else could. 'Yes. Though I am unsure what's wrong with that. Some of our kind went off together to live on an alien world and we're some of the descendants. Only we've been away for so long we missed a lot, such as the fall of the High Witches. It would have been nice to receive a warmer welcome than this.'

The man looked at his own blood on the floor and on his body. 'I could say the same.'

'Yes,' Serpantha agreed. 'You will have to forgive my niece, she has an anger problem.'

'So she came from those two then?'

Serpantha nodded. 'But before I digress into my family tree I have questions of my own. What happens once someone is captured?'

'I'm not a medic, I wouldn't—'

'What happens?'

'It's not a straight forward process, the first people it was tried on, such as your kid I suppose… they had to be killed first and now we have a way of gradually extracting each spell until they die.'

'You torture them to death by slowing removing their magic.' Serpantha's disgust was obvious. 'Nguyen, if you don't mind.'

The second she heard her surname, Heiki kicked the man in the gut, winding him. She knew Serpantha well enough to know what he meant.

'I'm not going to tell you more if I get hurt for saying it.' He said weakly.

'Yes you are,' Heiki fired back instantly.

'Besides how bad can it be?' the man said, trying to defend himself. 'I mean, it's just magic, it isn't like we're cutting you open and removing organ by organ.'

'Actually, that's an incredibly accurate account of what it's like, and the longer it lasts the more it hurts.' Serpantha said matter-of-factly.

The man narrowed his eyes. 'How do you know?'

'I know people who have survived the process of having their magic undone.'

'On Earth? Impossible.'

'No, not on Earth, but that's none of your business.'

'On that creature's planet then,' the man looked to Lyrai.

'I have a name,' she hissed. 'and no.'

'I will be blunt here,' Serpantha said, 'you're going to help us and if you don't you will be killed.'

Rachel found herself shudder at his brutality. It was something a High Witch would say, and to hear a innocent looking Wizard say it in a soft Irish voice seemed so wrong, and almost made it more frightening than any Witch saying it. But surely he wasn't being serious, he didn't kill Calen after what she did – why kill an innocent young man?

'What do you want?' he asked fearfully. 'I can't help you get out of this.'

Serpantha shrugged. 'You can give us information to help us figure out how to get out of this.'

'I have an idea,' Heiki said with forced conviction. 'It's risky but it could work.'

'Then let's do it.'

'What if it doesn't work?' Heiki asked, her voice quavering slightly.

Serpantha said firmly, 'Heiki, you're very intelligent. Your plans fail if you get cocky or emotionally involved. Providing those things don't happen I think you're a brilliant strategist. Now what do we do?'

Heiki raised herself with authority and looked at everyone in the room. 'There must be another way out of here, where we came through isn't the original entrance.'

'The only other exit leads out the side of a cliff.' Esimi said.

'That could work,' Heiki said, excitement growing in her voice. 'If our friend here takes Calen out of this base, he can pick us up with Calen at the other entrance and we'll be safe…is there a way down the cliff?'

'No,' Esimi answered.

'We have an aircraft,' the man said, pushing himself to his feet.

Heiki looked to Calen. 'You go with him and make up some story of how you're human and got trapped here with us.'

Calen looked to Serpantha. 'I have magic, if that's detected—'

'You'll be captured and die,' Heiki cut her off. 'but no matter what, you die, we all do, so may as well try it, right? They shouldn't go looking for it in you, he can just say he's taking you back to wherever and come pick us up on the other side.'

'Not exactly watertight,' Venibilles commented.

'And I'm not keen on dying.' Calen added.

Serpantha said, 'If anyone has any better ideas we can do that. If not, we follow Heiki's plan, because it isn't half-bad. One problem though.'

'What?' Heiki asked stunned.

'What happens when he leaves with a human? If he was able to get her out they'll assume it's safe to infiltrate. They'll be able to follow us. Not only that but there are people other than us here, humans with magic. They'll all be killed.'

'We can take them to the lowest levels,' Esimi said.

'What good is delaying the inevitable?' Serpantha threw back. 'It works Heiki it's a good plan but it involves risking our lives and killing everyone here.'

'Then I have an idea.' Volüsa spoke up shakily. 'I will stay here and defend this place as long as we can. Leave us some weaponry, we'll be fine. Lyrai, if you agree to it, I think you should go out there as a distraction. Being a new species, many of that force will be preoccupied with you. It will buy us time.'

Serpantha looked to his daughter despairingly. 'I can't let you sacrifice yourself.'

'Heiki said it. Either way we die. Besides, if you're going where we are, you can always come get us.'

Serpantha gave a small nod with forced calmness to Heiki.

Heiki commanded, 'You and Calen go out, delay as long as possible.' She healed his wounds. 'put your things back on and if you breath a word of what we're doing to anyone, I will kill you.'

'I'll be jailed if I'm found helping you.'

'That's awful I'm sorry,' Heiki said with mocked sympathy, before adding in an angrier tone, 'now get out there!'

Volüsa, Lyrai and the still trembling man left, going to the floor above.

'I hope this works,' murmured Heiki.

'Me too.' Serpantha added casually. 'Now arm yourselves.'

Heiki was the only one who seemed fully comfortable doing so. She picked up a small denim jacket and shorts from the corner of the room, quickly putting them on and using the pockets to store guns and knives. Oriliagh picked up two foot long daggers, inspecting them disdainfully before slotting them into the belt of her dress.

Heiki noticed how uncomfortable Rachel was arming herself. She picked up a belt off the table that was normally used to carry a gun, and she slowly approached Rachel and put the belt around her waist, attempting a reassuring look.

'This is wrong.' Rachel said emptily.

Heiki picked up two knives and slotted them either side of the belt. 'I know. But we don't have a choice Rachel, and if it comes to it we need to be able to defend ourselves, no matter how weakly. Against the humans, against Safeke – against anyone who threatens our lives.'

'I'm not capable of killing.'

Heiki looked her in the eyes and said, 'That's a good quality, and you're the only one here who possesses it, even when faced with your own mortality. It's a good quality…but not for this situation. You have to be strong.' Heiki added with a wink, 'We all know I prefer you meaner anyway.'

Rachel smiled gratefully as Heiki backed away.

'When the two lovers have stopped we should go,' Esimi said.

Heiki was about to back away from Rachel and say it wasn't like that, but she then looked around and realised she was talking about Larpskendya and Zina, who picked the most inopportune moment to not be able to stay away from each other.

Serpantha rolled his eyes. 'I support you reviving your dead human partner but I don't support you consummating your reunion so if you don't mind.'

Zina and Larpskendya pulled away and just smiled at each other uncontrollably, not caring for anything happening around them. Which in any other situation would be romantic, but with death stood over them all it's unprofessional and dangerous. After all, Safeke did everything for a reason, and his reason for bringing Zina back to life would never have been a kindness.

'Esimi lead the way,' Serpantha said emptily.

Once they made there way through the base, the route was surprisingly simple. Once inside the base, it wouldn't be hard to find, and the soldiers had to be inside the base by now – no question about it. And if Calen was detected as having magic, they would be cornered on the edge of a cliff at the mercy of humans, with only knives and guns to defend themselves with against technology that could strip them of their magic. It was hopeless by anyone's standards. The worst part was that surviving on Earth wasn't the main challenge; defeating Safeke was. From here, it could only get worse. But if Safeke did everything for a reason, why dump them on Earth and tell them to survive? Yes, he enjoyed playing games but this seemed more like a distraction. Serpantha couldn't get over it – a life time of battling High Witches and trying to survive, and he was about to be killed by his own father.


End file.
